The calendar year has begun with new & old challenges and opportunities for all. In 2006 let's make a pledge to build, not with bricks and mortar, but with our talents & time to enrich our Foundation and those we have pledged to serve.
While 2005 was marked with tragedy, with the loss of life and property at the hands of nature & war, the future holds unlimited opportunities for progress. If we but recall our commitment to our goals & mission we as Lions & Lioness have chosen to rally, our efforts can only create a more positive world.
So Lions - ROAR! Let your voices and actions be seen and heard by those who are in need of our help. Whether that be through our vision & hearing programs, the camp for deaf & blind, diabetic awareness, or our humanitarian efforts to assist the needy in Illinois. Our continued commitment to battle " as knights for the Blind" can make 2006 a banner year.
2006 Sight and Sound Sweepstakes is Underway
by Ron Wigton, State Chairperson Sight & Sound Sweepstakes
Each Lions and Lioness Club should have received Sight and Sound Sweepstakes tickets prior to their January club meeting. If your club did not receive SWEEPS tickets, contact Joanne at our Lions of Illinois Foundation. Lions/Lioness, these tickets are easy to sell if you will explain to your Club members the how and why of the Sight and Sound project. The ‘How to Manual’ included with your SWEEPS tickets provides information on the project, but you could also get information from your Sweepstakes Coordinator, District Trustee, District Governor, or contact our Foundation. If you will stress to Club members that keeping SWEEPS tickets visible, they will sell. Money raised from Sweepstakes ticket sales is used to support (1) the projects and services that our Lions of Illinois Foundations administrates, and (2) your club may retain up to forty percent to support Club sight and hearing related projects. Individual prizes are listed on the face of each ticket. If the seller will place their name on the back of each Sweepstakes ticket, and that ticket is a winner, the seller will also be a winner. A book of 12 tickets is sold for $10, while individual tickets are sold at $1 each.
Have your Club President or Sweepstakes coordinator contact Joanne Delby at 815-756-5633 ext. 222 or jdelby@tbc.net for the right answer!
Bard Optical Announces Partnership with Lions of Illinois
Bard Optical has announced a commitment to work with the Lions Clubs of Illinois as a demonstration of their commitment to those in need of vision care. Bard Optical stressed their commitment to the importance of regular eye health examinations for everyone; however children's vision problems are a particularly serious concern. According to Bard Optical statistics from The Better Vision Institute indicate that 80% of learning in a child's first 12 years comes through the eyes. So many learning concerns can really be traced back to a youngster's vision problems that may cause them to fall behind in learning skills.
As part of their commitment , Bard Optical states they will provide eye health exams and eyewear at a special rate to Lions Club clients at any one of their 18 locations throughout central Illinois. To locate the nearest store visit them on the web at www.bardoptical.com
The offer made to Lions clients is a complete package only, meaning a client must receive their eye exam, frames, and lenses at Bard Optical. Bard will provide a routine eye health exam for $25 and single vision (or bifocal lenses) and a frame for $50.50. Special lenses required for vision correction, need prior authorization for payment by the Lions Club who referred the patient. Any other lens options will be discounted and payable by the patient.
A purchase requisition from the Lions Club, indicating their permission for Bard Optical to provide services to the patient, will be required at the time of service. To obtain a form, or for questions about information required on the form, contact Connie at 1-800-752-3295.
The Lions of Illinois would like to welcome and Thank Bard Optical for stepping forward and joining the cause to provide eye care needs to the needy of Illinois. We look forward to a long and successful partnership.
Why Diabetes Awareness?
Lion Dennis Ragan, Diabetes Awareness State Chairperson
Diabetes Awareness is perhaps one of our lesser known state-wide projects, but it is one of the more important projects in the prevention of blindness and diabetic eye disease.
Diabetes is still the number one cause of new adult blindness in the United States . Roughly 18 million people in the United States have diabetes, and 5 1/3 million of these people do not know they have the disease. These people are at risk for eye disease, kidney disease, nerve damage, amputation, etc.
Uncontrolled diabetes damages the eyes, causing diabetic retinopathy which can lead to reduced vision and even blindness. People who know that they have diabetes have a very good chance of maintaining proper blood sugar levels. As a result, their chance of having any of the complications listed above is much less.
Our Lions of Illinois Foundation's Diabetes Awareness program is coordinated with the American Diabetes Association through the ADA 's Decatur office. Essentially this program collects money for research and prevention and distributes risk strips to alert a person that he or she may be at risk for diabetes. Many clubs stand out on street corners on a day of their choosing in March or April. They hand out sugar free-candy, our risk strips, and collect donations.
The money that is collected is sent to the Decatur ADA office which keeps 60% for ADA sponsored research to cure diabetes and diabetic retinopathy. Some of the money is used to support the summer camps for children with diabetes. The other 40% is sent to our Lions of Illinois Foundation, where it is used by the Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Unit.
The risk strips are distributed in the hope that people who are at risk for diabetes, but do not know that they have it, will get a check-up. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta assure us that projects such as this one are succeeding in lessening the numbers of people who are unaware they have diabetes.
Order your risk strips now or in the next few months, but you can distribute them any time during the year--at a pancake dinner, chili supper, barbecue, plowing match, local church bulletins, etc. You do not have to stand outside on street corners.
The same is true for money donations. Have a fund raiser dedicated to Diabetes Awareness or make a donation from you benevolent account. Just remember, if your club has a fund raiser dedicated to diabetes and it uses our risk strips or our sugar-free candy, you need to send the profits to the Decatur ADA for the 60%/40% split. When you sign up for Diabetes Awareness, all aprons, risk strips, and candy are free to your club. The ADA recovers these costs from the gross receipts.
Letters and information have been mailed to your club president. In case these has not been received and you wish to participate, call Donna Scott at 1-800-445-1667, 2580 Federal Drive 403, Decatur , Ill. 62526 .
Your club does many projects that help the visually impaired, but how many projects prevent visual impairment? This one does!!
Mark Your Calendar
LIF Upcoming Events
January 8, 2006 - Coordinators meeting The Chateau, Bloomington , IL
January 14, 2006 - 5th Annual Chicago Bulls Outing, United Center, Chicago , IL
February 10, 2006 - Candidate orientation, The Chateau, Bloomington , IL
February 11-12, 2006 - Board of Trustees meeting, The Chateau, Bloomington , IL
May 18-21, 2006 - Board of Trustees meeting & State Convention, Holiday Inn Select, Naperville, IL
July 21, 2006 - Incoming Board of Trustees meeting, The Chateau, Bloomington, IL
July 22 - 23, 2006 - Board of Trustees Meeting, The Chateau, Bloomington, IL
August 6, 2006 - LIF Coordinators meeting, The Chateau, Bloomington, IL
2006 Hearing Bus Schedule - Set your date NOW!
The LIF Hearing Bus is something to see, and few people forget it once they do! Why not share this screening resource with your community? The 2006 Calendar is being written now, so don't delay. Here are some key points to remember if your Club intends to host the Hearing Bus:
Hearing Bus Schedule for 2006
| April |
L & E |
December 1 |
February 1 |
February 6 |
January 24 |
| May |
CN & CS |
January 1 |
March 1 |
March 6 |
February 21 |
| June |
G & H |
February 1 |
April 1 |
April 6 |
March 24 |
| July |
K & B |
March 1 |
May 1 |
May 6 |
April 23 |
| August |
D & J |
April 1 |
June 1 |
June 6 |
May 24 |
| September |
A & F |
May 1 |
July 1 |
July 6 |
June 23 |
| October |
Club request overflow |
June 1 |
August 1 |
August 6 |
July 24 |
If you have any questions about the screening process, please call, e-mail, or fax Mario at the Lions of Illinois Foundation office:
Lion Mario Gumino, Accounts Manager
2814 DeKalb Avenue
Sycamore, IL 60178
Phone: 815-756-5633 Extension 224
Fax: 815-748-9087
E-Mail: mgumino@tbc.net
Escape the Cold in Tunica Mississippi!
Oh Yeah, we are headed for some fun, gambling, and warmth in Tunica, Mississippi- On February 19-22 2006, a group of Lions and friends will travel to Tunica, Mississippi with Noah’s Ark Tours for four (4) days and three (3) nights of great fun. We are looking for people who enjoy a great time and great company, to partake of the BIGGEST Casino Trip Bargain in the USA. Time is of the essence! Please review the linked forms & information, then register immediately as the two buses will only seat approximately 50 people each.
I’M GOING, HOW ABOUT YOU?
The LIF is hosting this trip to raise funds and spirits among our cold Illinois Lions.
Our trip to Tunica is for 4 nights @ the Gold Strike Resort,
round trip accommodations,
with loads of extras and is specially priced for our members & friends.
Buses will leave from two departure cities:
Peoria, IL – click here for full details and forms
Joliet, IL – click here for full details and forms
Second Annual Night Walk-
This wonderfully moving song from a generation ago accurately reflects the reality of those who choose to take the very important steps at our walkathon, “We Walk In The Dark So They Won’t Have To.” Last year, the world watched approximately 600 people of all ages (infants to post-maturity) congregate at Danada Equestrian Center on a beautiful Sunday evening and walked in the dark so that maybe someday others won’t have to. Not one of us walked alone literally or figuratively. Of course, we had each other to lean on as we amble through the gorgeous setting of Danada at dusk. More importantly, because of the reason we were walking (helping others), I believe that whatever Supreme Power each walker conceives in accompanied us on our sojourn. NOW, we have the honor, yes honor, to walk again on behalf of those who are visually impaired. On June 4, 2006, we will walk again, once again at the beautiful Danada Equestrian Center in Wheaton, Illinois. Please come and join walkers from all around the state who will secure donations and participate in our 2 nd Annual
“We Walk in the Dark so They Won’t Have to”. The world will be watching and one is for sure—You’ll Never Walk Alone!
Corporate Matching Donations
by Paul Pioch , District 1-F Region Chair
I recently had a great experience that I wanted to share with the Lions of Illinois. It is a way to stretch your personal donation dollars to our Lions of Illinois Foundation. If you work for a company, like I do, that has a Matching Gift Program you may be able to DOUBLE the amount that you donate to our Foundation. It could not have been easier for me to accomplish. My company (Countrywide Home Loans) required a few pieces of specific information from the Foundation including the organization’s purpose and tax id number. They then approved the Foundation and placed it on our web site so other employees could choose to donate to the Lions of Illinois Foundation as well. I then completed a form and sent it to the Foundation along with my donation. The Foundation finished completing the form and forwarded it to my company for disbursement. You should check this out if your company has a matching gift program.
Let’s all see that our Lions of Illinois Foundation is added to our company’s matching gift programs IMMEDIATELY so we can DOUBLE our donations and help many more people throughout Illinois .
The day I became a Lion
I was elected president of our Foundation in 2002 and we were at our first board meeting for the year in Mount Vernon Illinois . On Saturday night we went to Camp Lions for supper with the campers. There was the usual noise and commotion from the campers but it was enjoyable to see the kids having fun. We were sitting at a great big round table eating and Cory, one of the campers sitting next to me, and I were talking about what brings him to camp Lions . He didn’t have hearing aids or wore glasses. Cory said he had a problem with his vision, which was slowly getting worse. He will never be able to get a drivers license. He had been coming for four years and enjoyed it very much and looked forward to each summer for camp. Then he looked at me and said “thank you, Mr. Lion ”. I asked, "thank you for what Cory?". He said, “thank you for letting me come to Camp”. I have been a member of this organization since 1979, but that was the day I became a Lion. It made all the Candy Days in the rain, fish fries in the cold, pork chop sandwich sales, and all the other projects I have worked to help support our Foundation and my home club worth while. I took this heartwarming story back to the board the next day and hopefully they were able to connect the dots as to why we do what we do.
Lion Tom Harpst , Past Foundation President
Camp Lions Youth Schedule 2006
Eligible campers must be between the ages of 7 to 17 and have either a visual or hearing impairment as described:
Hearing Impairment: auditory loss which adversely affects speech & language development and communications abilities, requiring the use of a hearing aid, or auditory assistive device, sign language, finger spelling, or lip reading.
Visual Impairment: loss of vision to be in the range between total blindness and 20/200 in both eyes after best correction.
Contact Alan Wilson, Camp Registrar, for applications and/or questions:
Camp Lions of Illinois, 2814 Dekalb Avenue
Sycamore, Il 60178-3117
adwilson@tbc.net
815-756-5633 V * 815-748-9088 TTY * 815-748-9087 FAX
Camp Lions for visually & hearing impaired children is a truly unique place. This is the place to not feel different- where sign language and braille rule, a place of acceptance and strength through friendships and fun activities in the summer’s sun. It is at Camp Lions that children who are often isolated due to their differing abilities are the majority, an empowering place to make lifelong friendships and grow to develop skills for the future.
It is our hope that every eligible visually or hearing impaired child can experience Camp Lions. But this can not be done without your assistance. The Lions of Illinois Foundation is asking every Lion & Lioness Club in Illinois to help by “adopting“ at least one child to Camp Lions with a donation of $525. This donation will help to defer some of the total costs associated with those attending. Basic costs to consider include: lodging, food, recreational fees, & qualified staff to lead and inspire campers, just to name a few.
The reward to your Club is truly a “priceless” investment that can’t be measured in worldly terms. How do you place a price on the joy of new friends, a sense of belonging, and a strengthened sense of personal worth? While we wish we could package that joy so you could experience it yourselves, we can’t. However we will happily send you a picture & hand-made card created by your camper along with our appreciation. (Be sure to specify the name(s) if you have a particular child in mind.)
Please adopt a child and help us so we never need to turn away any deserving child from the wonderful experience that Camp Lions can offer them. Please make any and all contributions to the Lions of Illinois Foundation/Camp Lions of Illinois and send to:
Lions of Illinois Foundation
Adopt – A - Child
2814 DeKalb Avenue
Sycamore, IL 60178
Thank you for making a difference,
Mario Gumino, Camp Administrator, Camp Lions of Illinois
___________ __________ _______________
cut here __________ ____________ ____________
Please detach and return the form below to: Mario Gumino
Enclosed is a check for $________ to adopt __ ____camper(s) to Camp Lions 2006.
Club Name ______________________________________________District_______
Camp Lions Wish List 2006-
comprised by 2005 Camp Director, Darcy Schulte & Staff
Every year the magic of Camp Lions makes summer come alive for hundreds of visually & hearing impaired campers.
To make that happen staff rely heavily on the donations of basic, art, and medical supplies. Could you or your Club help grant some of these wishes? If the answer is yes, please contact Alan Wilson, Camp Lions Registrar by phone at 815-756-5633 ext 231 or by e-mail at adwilson@tbc.net to arrange pick-up, or shipping, and to maintain a working inventory. Thanks for your help!
General Supplies
Storage bins
Styrofoam cups
Hearing aid batteries
AA Batteries
Fishing Supplies – fishing line, bobbers, hooks, etc.
Sports Equipment – Frisbees, volleyball, kickball, basketballs, soccer ball, etc.
Tie Dye Mix – purple, blue, pink, orange, yellow, red
Duct Tape
Polaroid film – “600 one-step”
Updated movies for deaf & visually impaired – captioned & narrated
Travel size soaps, shampoo, toothpaste, etc – personal hygiene supplies
Art Supplies 
Colored string
Jute or Hemp cording
Beads
Glue
Glitter
Tempera & acrylic paints
Newsprint style white paper
Medical Supplies
Standard size band-aids 
Knuckle band-aids
Fingertip band-aids
One sharps container – for proper/safe disposal of diabetic needles
Clear Benadryl
Benadryl itch sticks
15 CPR mouth guards – for staff
4x4 gauze pads – adhesive and non-adhesive
15 tubes Neosporin
Extra strength Tylenol Capsules
Jr. strength Tylenol 
Children’s chewable Tylenol
Advil
Ibuprofen – Capsule & liquid
Ice packs – reusable
Ivy Dry spray
Aloe Vera gel
Thermometers & covers – oral
Dixie Cups
Ace bandages
Tums
 LIF STAFF DIRECTORY... |
Main Line : 815-756-5633 TTY: 815-748-9088 Fax: 815-748-9087
, Executive Director - Ext. 227
, Accounts Manager - Ext. 224
, Receptionist - Ext. 221
, Development Coordinator - Ext. 222
, Assistant to the Exec. Dir. - Ext. 223
, Camp Lions Registrar - Ext. 231
, Sight & Hearing Coordinator – Ext. 240
, Hearing Bus Driver/Tech - Ext. 224
Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Tech. - Ext. 240
The LIF Office is open 8:30am to 4:30pm , Monday through Friday, except holidays.
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