GIVING FROM THE HEART
Hanover 's River Ridge seventh grade class understands what it means to give hope. For five years they have collected used eyeglasses & hearing aids to donate to the LIF in use in our mission to aid the visually & hearing impaired.
Under the guidance of teachers Kim Thorsen & Lisa Gunning , the students gathered approximately 800 used eyeglasses and several hearing aids. Through coordination with Lion Dick Eberhardt PDT and other Hanover & Elizabeth Lions, the glasses were brought to the LIF office where they were processed to go to help indigent people throughout the world see better.
To celebrate the Hanover & Elizabeth Lions treated the seventh graders to a pizza luncheon on January 7th. LIF Executive Director Lion Van Stone was honored to present a certificate to the class for their efforts. Lion Stone told the class, "Words are inadequate to convey the heartfelt appreciation of the Lions and the people we serve for demonstrating in this magnificent way that young people truly understand the meaning of giving from the heart. You see, the glasses provide not only sight, but also hope, and your willingness to donate your time speaks volumes about the quality of people you have become which reflects well on those responsible for your education."
A New Year Resolution
It is a tradition for people to make New Year's resolutions. Often they are to help improve our lives by ending a "bad habit" or changing our lifestyle to avoid stress. But, there are also the idealistic type, the ones that affect your neighbor, community, and strangers. Every Lions/Lioness/Leo member has made a commitment to serve their commmunities through acts of charity, education, and involvement centered on raising the qualty of life. This pledge was given as you joined the ranks of Lionism. It is restated each time you, as a Lion, participate in the programs designed to aid the visually & hearing impaired. Let us renew that vow as this year's resolution, to act in the best effort possible to serve the goals and vision of our organization. It will be a resolution that comes straight from the heart - those are the best, and the easiest to keep.
IN MY OPINION
by Van C. Stone , LIF Executive Director
CAN YOU GIVE ME FIVE?
Relax! The “five” isn't dollars. For some time now, as I have traveled the State of Illinois talking to the Lions and their respective clubs, I have asked for five minutes of the private contemplative time for reflection of each listener. The reasons for the request for such precious time is twofold:
1. Many Lions do not spend any quiet reflective moments as to the direction their lives are leading or possibly, where they should lead. The mere act of asking for that time may prompt Lions to spend some of those wonderful moments in introspection. For far too many of us, live our lives without concentrating on our investment in those lives. Regardless of your religion, meditation is an integral part of it and I pray that each of you will set aside a small amount of time for such a worthy endeavor.
2. My request includes a subject matter. As we consider the remainder of our time on earth, it would seem important to determine to what we will commit our time and talents. Of course, on behalf of our Foundation, and more importantly, the children and adults served, my hope is that you will decide to join that small, but growing army of individuals who have chosen their Lions of Illinois Foundation as the focal point of their remaining earthly endeavors. You see, I am a true believer that the Lions have been presented with a rare gift—the opportunity to create a legacy of caring about future generations. “Our Foundation may very well represent the best chance that most of us have in ending our lives on a note worthy of remembering by men and women of honor and integrity”.
If you “give me five” minutes and decide that our Foundation is worthy of devoting your time and talents, all you have to do is make your commitment be known through your labors. If you could only “see & hear” what I do from the men, women, and children throughout our state regarding the good our foundation provides, your contemplation would conclude with your commitment to our great Vision. The point is, make a commitment and be proud to shout it from the mountaintops and then back it up with your actions.
2005 Sight and Sound Sweepstakes is Underway
by Lion Ron Wigton , Sight & Sound Sweepstakes Chairperson
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, please contact Joanne at our Lions of Illinois Foundation by dialing (815)-756-5633 ext. 222 or by e-mail at jdelby@tbc.net.
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' that was included with your SWEEPS tickets will provide some information on the project, but you could also get information from your District Governor, District Trustee, Sweepstakes Coordinator, or by contacting 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 administers, and (2) your Club, which may retain up to forty percent (40%), to support sight and hearing related projects.
Individual prizes are listed on the face of each ticket and, if the seller places their name on the back of a winning ticket, they can also be a winner. A book of 12 tickets is sold for $10, while individual tickets are sold at $1 each.
If additional tickets are required, please have your Club President or Sweepstakes Coordinator call Joanne Delby at 815-756-5633 ext. 222 .
Announcing - 1st ANNUAL NIGHT WALK
“We walk in the dark… so they won't have to”
The Lions of Illinois 1st Annual Night Walk, “We Walk in the dark … so they won't have to” will step–off on Sunday June 5th at 6:30 pm at the Danada Equestrian Center in Wheaton . The length of the course is three miles.
,p >As evening begins members of 100 Lions, Lioness, and Leo Clubs throughout District 1-J will step off to make a difference. Together they will walk to benefit visually impaired children & adults to help stop preventable blindness.
Imagine hundreds of walkers, each carrying a special 2005 Night Walk Light to illuminate their way, as they head into multiple directions, to reconvene in the summer night dispelling the dark, in a celebration of triumph.
Walkers wishing to participate may register through the Lions of Illinois Foundation or their 1-J Lions, Lioness, or Leo Club . Brochures with the full details of the walk and pledge forms are available when registering. Forms must be submitted, with pledge funds, to the LIF on or before May 27, 2005 . Each adult walker is encouraged to get at least $100 in pledge donations (high school and younger $50).
The organizing committee for this event includes Lions Club members across District 1-J. They have successfully sought & found a number of select sponsors to help with the underwriting of the event costs. The Alberto Culver Company has generously agreed to be the signature sponsor for this ground-breaking event. All your Clubs need do now is recruit walkers, collect pledges, and join in the walk on June 5th.
For more information about the Lions of Illinois / Alberto Culver 1st Annual Night Walk, please contact Lion Ray Krusinski, Committee Chairperson, at raykohio@aol.com or by phone at 630-222-4400 or LIF Ex. Director Van C. Stone at the LIF Office at 1-815-75633 or by e-mail at VCS@tbc.net .
CAMP LIONS WISH LIST 2005
Each year we appeal to our members to grant wishes for camp supplies. It is a minor investment that reaps a lot of smiles! Please use the form below to submit with all granted wishes. Thanks for helping make the magic happpen!
GENERAL SUPPLIES:
Bolts of felt- for banners made by campers Rubbermaid storage containers- for transport of supplies & storage Backpacks – for Counselor use at Camp Blank Post cards/recipe cards Styrofoam cups- for drinks Plaster of Paris- nature casting Four archery target beepers- helps guide visually impaired to target Leather string for jewelry Drink mixes- to quench camper thirst Polaroid Film (type 600)- For single close-ups of campers Batteries- AA, AAA, & C Fishing supplies- hooks, line, bobbers, hand held fish net, etc. Cards- large print and/or brailled Checkerboard set Balloons Poster Board sheets- 50 assorted colors Construction paper – assorted colors Pastel artist chalks – 30 sets Sharpie permanent markers – assorted colors Transparent tape
FIRST AID:
Band-aids, antiseptic wipes, gauze, eye wash, epi-pens, anti-bacterial creams, latex gloves, non-latex gloves, bandage wrap, tongue depressors, thermometer and sterilizing case, hydrogen peroxide, alcohol wipes, iodine, aspirin, Tylenol. Basic supplies for first aid kits.
GENERAL CRAFT SUPPLIES:
Tacky glue, tempera paint, alphabet and number stamps, & paint brushes, beads, masking tape, scissors, rulers, string, crayons, aluminum foil, gift wrap, brown art paper or newsprint roll, glue sticks, popsicle sticks, small Dixie cups for paint, etc.
___________________________________________________________
Please accept this donation to the Camp Lions wish list: Item(s):___________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.
Club/Donor Name :_ _____________________________________.
Address :_ ________________________________________________. City :_ _________________________State:______Zip:_______.
Please return to : Camp Lions , 2814 DeKalb Avenue , Sycamore , IL 60178-3117 .
___________________________________________________
ADOPT-A-CHILD TO ATTEND CAMP LIONS THIS SUMMER
Camp Lions is togetherness, growth, and memories to last a lifetime.
It is a world where every day brings new discovery and new challenge.
At Camp Lions children quickly become friends as they share in the fun of swimming, boating, horseback riding, nature walks, archery, and many more camp activities. They learn that having a sight or hearing impairment need not limit them from any of summer's opportunities. Camp Lions children are encouraged to develop their independent skills and to grow in ways that will help them through the rest of their lives.
In order to be sure that as many children as possible may have the opportunity to attend Camp Lions and benefit from these wonderful experiences, the Lions of Illinois Foundation is asking every Lion and Lioness Club in the state of 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. These costs include: lodging, food, recreational fees, and qualified staff to lead and inspire campers, just to name a few.
So that you can be familiar with the child you adopt to Camp Lions , a picture & hand-made thank you created by your camper will be sent to your club along with our appreciation. (Be sure to specify the name(s) if you have a particular child in mind.)
Please adopt a child to attend Camp Lions this summer. Feel good that you have enriched the life of a child. 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 your generosity,
Mario Gumino ,
Camp Director , Camp Lions of Illinois
(Print,cut here, and mail lower portion)
Enclosed is a check for $________ to adopt ______camper(s) to Camp Lions for Summer 2005. Club Name________________________________________District_______
UPCOMING EVENTS - Mark your calendar
February 11, 2005 Candidate Orientation The Chateau, Bloomington , IL
February 18,19 & 20, 2005 Board of Trustees Meeting The Chateau, Bloomington , IL
May 6 (7), 2005 Lioness Tootsie Pop Day
May 19-22, 2005 Board of Trustees Meeting / State Convention Hilton Hotel, Springfield , IL
July 22, 2005 Camp Lions Open House East Bay Camp, Bloomington , IL
July 22, 2005 Incoming Board of Trustees Refresher Course The Chateau, Bloomington , IL
July 23-24, 2005 Board of Trustees Meeting The Chateau, Bloomington , IL
July 29, 2005 Camp Lions Open House Camp DuBois Center DuBois , IL
August 5, 2005 Camp Lions Open House Reynoldswood Camp Dixon , IL
August 6, 2005 12th Annual Golf Classic Railside Golf Course Gibson City , IL
August 7, 2005 Coordinators Meeting The Chateau, Bloomington , IL
October 14(15), 2005 Lions Candy Day
CANDY DAY CONCLUSION!
Another Candy Day has come and gone and I hope this year was the greatest year of all. Now, it is important that every Club send its report and remittance. December 31st. When a Club completes its Candy Day by turning in its report and money, then and only then, will there be a conclusion to this year's Candy Day . The due date was December 31, 2004 .
Good business runs on good cash flow and our ability to continue the quality programs and services depends upon timely reporting and remitting of Candy Day revenues.
Successful Clubs begin the planning process for next year's Candy Day by conducting a review (a port mortem) of this year's event. It is no secret that good planning begins now and saying thank you to this year's business contributors is a good way to start. If your community has a newspaper, town crier, advertising flyer, take the opportunity to say thank you by name in the publication. It will pay large dividends next year as every business wants to be seen in a favorable light—a corporate "good guy".
So let's conclude this year by promptly sending the reports and remittances to our Foundation while beginning the planning process for an even better Candy Day next year.
THE LIF ENDOWMENT FUND
… your opportunity to give a gift that keeps on giving.
What is the Endowment Fund? The Lions of Illinois Endowment Fund offers the opportunity for members of the Lions family and the general public to give a tax-deductible gift that keeps on giving. It is a restricted fund in which contributions are pooled and invested, with the principal remaining intact. Only the income can be used to support Lions of Illinois Foundation programs and services for the visually and hearing impaired.
How are funds contributed? Funds are contributed through a variety of ways. Memorials: Donations may be given in the name of someone who has passed on. Honorariums: Donations may be given to honor a special occasion (birthday, Anniversary, graduation, promotion, retirement, becoming a Foundation Fellow, etc.) or to wish someone well.
Sustaining Supporters: The Sustaining Supporter Program is a method of giving in which anyone (Lion or non-Lion) is encouraged to give a $25 donation on an annual basis to help support the many programs and services of the Lions of Illinois Foundation. The $25 donation entitles the Sustaining Supporter to receive a pin (or numbered tab for renewal) and membership card. Donations to the Sustaining Supporter Program are completely convertible to Foundation Fellows.
Foundation Fellows: A Foundation Fellow is the greatest level of recognition that can be bestowed by the Lions of Illinois Foundation and can honor anyone (Lion or non-Lion). It can be presented to a person who donates $500 to the Lions of Illinois Endowment Fund, or it can be used as a way for others to honor a person's dedication to the club, community, Lions District, Lions of Illinois Foundation, and/or Lionism in general. For those who wish to contribute more than $500 or to begin a program of giving, there are 25 levels of the Foundation Fellow, with each level attained affording honor to the individual named. For every $500 contribution (given in partial payments or in one payment), the person named as a Foundation Fellow receives a pin, patch, and framed certificate. The person's name is engraved on the Foundation Fellow Wall of Honor and is listed in a computerized, scrolling role of honorees located at the Lions of Illinois Foundation office. For those who complete levels 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25, a shadow box is also presented which contains the five pins and patches awarded for the respective levels. Additional recognition is bestowed upon achievement of the 25th level.
Help create a lasting legacy through the Lions of Illinois Endowment Fund.
Tree of Service: The Tree of Service provides permanent acknowledgement and recognition of a gift and may be used to honor or memorialize a person, a group (club, family, organization), or an event. This bronze sculpture was designed to represent the many Lions of Illinois Foundation programs. On the trunk of the Tree are the laborers who provide these services – those who offer help, hope, and courage to the visually and hearing impaired within Illinois . The branches symbolize the Lions and Lioness Clubs reaching out into the communities to provide these services; the leaves represent the communities.
Anyone can contribute through the Tree of Service program. For each contribution of $1,000, a bronze leaf is inscribed on the Tree; for a contribution of $5,000, a rock at the foot of the Tree is inscribed. The person or group so honored also receives a patch and framed certificate.
Wills, Bequests, Trusts : Individuals may choose to give an estate tax deductible gift by naming the Lions of Illinois Endowment Fund or Lions of Illinois Foundation as (1) a beneficiary of part of an estate; or (2) an assignee of part of a pension/retirement fund, IRA, insurance policy, or investment account. Individuals who provide appropriate documentation to the Lions of Illinois Endowment Fund become members of the Legacy Club and receive a beautiful pin.
For more info or to make a contribution contact: Sherry Radek , Lions of Illinois Foundation, 815-756-5633 ext 223 .
Many Thanks
To the Elgin Youth Leadership Academy cadets who sorted eyeglasses as a service project for "Make A Difference Day". The mission of the YLA is to motivate selected young people from Illinois Community College District 509 who are economically at risk to stay in school, realize their full potential, and become productive leaders & role models in their communities. Lion Bob Cywinski is the Executive Director of this program.
New Recycle Program Added
Trying our best to increase revenue, the LIF has expanded our recycling programs yet again. Currently we recycle eyeglasses, hearing aids, visual & auditory devices, aluminum pull tabs, and keys. As of this issue we are also recycling ink jet cartridges and cell phones.
Recyclable ink cartridges are any style from a typical desktop printer. Place them in the original packaging, then inside a box or padded envelope to protect from damage, and send them to the LIF office.
Cell phones may be donated in the same manner by packing and mailing to the LIF. If you, or a sponsoring business associate, have large bulk amounts to donate please call Mario Gumino at 815-765-5633 ext 224 to make pick-up arrangements.
Remember - The LIF is a tax-free charitible organization (501c3) and donations are eligible for tax credit.
Keeping the Cost Down
Please help us to keep our costs for the Lions Share down. If you are currently receiving both the e-mail & printed versions of the Lions Share, please contact the LIF offices so we can eliminate the double mailing. E-mail DiAnne Ortega at dortega@tbc.net with your preference of format (or formats if you want both styles) to be sent. Each issue of the hardcopy of the Lions Share costs about 25 cents and at over 1500 copies it adds up! Thank you!
LIF Staff Directory
LIF Offices are open 8:30am to 4:30pm ,
Monday through Friday except holidays.
Main Line/Receptionist: 815-756-5633 V ;
815-748-9087 FAX;
815-748-9088 TTY
Van C. Stone, Executive Administrator ……………Ext. 227
General Management and All Programs
Mario Gumino , Accounts Manager ……………… Ext. 224
Accounts Manager, Golf & Bulls Outings, Camp Lions,
Used Eyeglasses & Hearing Aids, Mobile Hearing Unit
Diane Ortega, Receptionist……………………………Ext. 221
General Information, Donation Thank Yous, Club Officer Data
Joanne Delby , Development Coordinator ………… Ext. 222
Candy Day, Caramel Day, Counter Mints,
Sight & Sound Sweepstakes, Diabetes Awareness Day
Sherry Radek, Administrative Assistant ……………… Ext. 223
Foundation Meetings, Foundation Fellows, Tree of Service,
Legacy Club, Bulletins
Alan Wilson , Camp Registrar ………………… Ext. 231
Camp Lions Registration, Website Updates, Lions Share Newsletter, Used Eyeglasses & Hearing Aids
Susan F. Young, Sight & Hearing Coordinator ………… Ext. 240
Low Vision, Social Services & Referrals,LIFE, Used Eyeglasses & Hearing Aid Bank, Diabetic Retinopathy Screenings
Joe Krenkel, Mobile Screening Bus Tech……Ext. 224
(leave message with Mario Gumino )
Joy Knollenberg, Diabetic Screening Tech... Ext. 240
(leave message with Susan F. Young )
If you need immediate assistance during regular business hours, dial “0” for the receptionist.
Lions Share Newsletter
Lions Share Newsletter is a publication of the Lions of Illinois Foundation. Issues are published six times annually on a bi-monthly schedule. For information about subscriptions or content please write to :
The Lions Share, 2814 DeKalb Avenue , Sycamore , IL . 60178-3117.
VISIT US ON THE WEB AT: WWW.LIONSOFILLINOIS.ORG
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