Greater Pine Island Lions Club hold dinner
At it’s monthly meeting last Monday at the Fishers of Men Lutheran Church, the Greater Pine Island Lions Club hosted District Governor (District 35-I) David Skillin, who was making his official annual visit to the club.
The Lions Club motto is “We Serve.” The mission of the Greater Pine Island Lions Club is “to create and foster a spirit of understanding among all people for humanitarian needs by providing voluntary services through community involvement and international cooperation.”
“We really appreciate District Governor Skillin coming to our small island,” club president Mary Von Burg said. “Please give him a warm welcome.”
“I know you guys are a small club but there aren’t really any small clubs,” Skillin said. “Small doesn’t mean you’re any less mighty. This club does a lot for the community and I know the work you do down here. It’s truly awesome. We all need to remember that our number one mission is preserving sight. You are living examples of what Helen Keller said when she asked us to be ‘Knights for the Blind in the Crusade against darkness.’
Kathlene Rose was present from the Florida Association of School Nurses to present a program entitled ‘Sight for Students Program.” Under this program when a Lions Club sponsors a school nurse to be a member of the National Association ($110 dues), the nurse gets 25 free vouchers.
Those vouchers can be given to a child/parent to pay for an eye exam and glasses. The vouchers are given to the student along with a list of doctors that accept them. The voucher pays for the exam and, if needed, glasses for students until they are 18 years old.
Membership in the Lions Club has been declining recently and Skillin offered a recruiting challenge to Von Burg and the Greater Pine Island Lions Club. That challenge is to bring in one new member this year. That new member will receive a special”Centennial Membership Packet,” including the new Lions Club pin and Handbook.
Charities the Greater Pine Island Lions Club support on Pine Island are the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts. It also sponsors a Little League team and makes donations to Fellow Islanders Sending Help (F.I.S.H.), Friends of the Library, Museum of the Island, Calusa Land Trust, Food Pantry, children’s holiday parties (Christmas, Halloween, 4th of July), also, Pine island Elementary, Lions International for blind, hearing, sight, diabetes, and SE FL guide dogs.
The Lions volunteer to assist the Salvation Army with bell ringing and local red kettle, help with Habitat for Humanity when they built a home on Pine Island, Assist other charitable organizations with gift wrapping, food and clothing collection, Christmas gifts and annual donations and sponsoring bus service from Pine Island to area shopping centers.
“As you know, we’re always looking for new members,” Von Burg said. “Anyone wishing to come by to see what we’re all about should come to a meeting on the last Monday of the month or call me at (239) 283-9761 or email: mvonburg@embarqmail.com.
Meetings are held at the Fishers of Men Lutheran Church at 10360 Stringfellow Road, St. James City
The 6th Annual Greater Pine Island Lions Club Raffle/Auction 2016 will be held at the St. James Civic Center on Feb. 20. One hundred percent of the funds raised are used for charitable services.