OUR 5th YEAR-in-Review
(taken from our Charter Celebration Program)
We started our 5th year by taking part in the “protecting our environmental program” of Lions Clubs International. We were enrolled in the “Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful” program and performed periodic clean-ups of the Paxtang Parkway portion of the Capital Greenbelt and Little Valley Park. We also weeded, planted and maintained the Memorial Garden at Community Park. And on July 16 the Memorial Garden was dedicated to Jen and Dave as their mother, Lynn Shiner shared her memories.
During the Summer months, with the guidance of Advisor/Lion Carmen Gonzalez, we maintained a “Senior Community Garden” on property donated by Lion Salvatore Pantano. Vegetables were harvested and given to our community’s senior residents.
Over this past year, we provided service to a variety of other organizations by: • holding a 7-Hr. Famine/Food Drive, collecting groceries and over $1200 for the Manna Food Pantry, which serves our community • assisting the Penbrook VFW by placing flags on veterans’ graves at Harrisburg East Cemetery for Memorial Day • assisting the Capitol Area Sportmen’s Club set up for the Youth Field Day • assisting Special Olympics by helping to serve lunch at their “Spring Thing” event • and assisting many volunteer organizations during the Community Health Awareness Day.
Other fundraisers included raising funds to help as national disasters were striking here in the United States and around the world. We recently raised funds for needed supplies of the Capital Area Therapeutic Riding Association (CATRA) that provides challenged children and adults the experience of horseback riding.
We brought smiles to the faces of residents at the Golden Living facility during our 4th annual visit to sing carols through the halls. This year we made and delivered holiday cards to the residents.
We served those living in and around our community by continuing our participation in annual community events such as the Little Valley Park Program, the National Night Out Activities, the Community Halloween Party and the Christmas Tree Lighting.
We continue to assist our sponsoring Penbrook Lions Club by helping with their New Year’s Day Dinner, the Easter Egg Hunt, the Halloween Parade and their Pancake Breakfasts. We also assisted our neighboring Susquehanna Lions Club with their Spaghetti Dinner.
Trips during the year included our 5th Leo Appreciation Night at the District Convention in Carlisle and our 5th trip to the Lions Beacon Lodge Camp in Mt. Union for “Lions (and Leos) Appreciation Day” where we always experience a great program performed by the blind campers. One of our Leos traveled to Valley Forge for the State Convention where she met Leos from around the state and attended the Leo session.
The Leo Club is just a part of the very busy lives of our members. We have members in the Honor Society at their respective schools • members who participate in band, orchestra and choir in their schools and churches • members who play school and recreational sports • members who volunteer through other organizations including Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and our community fire company • and members who participate in theatre, dance and horseback riding.
Like all Clubs, we have lost members along the way, but since our 4th Charter Anniversary Celebration in April 2013, we inducted 6 new Leos and we continue to receive strong support from our parents.
Many of you will recall at our last Celebration, we had the great privilege to witness one of our Charter Members take the step of “Leo-to-Lion.” Lion Ashley has used the leadership training she received as a Leo to achieve a position on the Penbrook Borough Council.
As we come to the end of this 5th year of service, we would like to announce that we recently completed our largest and probably the most important project of our history. We hosted a fundraiser in honor of our own Police Officer Ron Frederick who was severely injured in an off-duty automobile accident. Raising over $2,000, Officer Ron ask that we ‘pay it forward’ and present the proceeds to the Drew Comrey Memorial Foundation to help families with children fighting cancer.
Today, April 6, was chosen to celebrate our anniversary for several reasons – April is “Lions Family and Friends Month” and because April 5-13 is Family Week on the Lions Schedule of Events. Today we share this milestone with our families, our friends, and our Lions Family.
As we look forward to celebrating our 6th Anniversary in the Spring of 2015, we also look forward to growing in numbers, learning in knowledge, sharing of ourselves and serving others.
The Penbrook Leos continue to accept Leadership, while
gaining Experience and taking Opportunities to be of
Service to our fellow citizens and role models for our peers.
