Nanaimo Lions Club celebrating 80 years at Maffeo Sutton Park

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The Nanaimo Lions Club helped fund the new playground equipment at Maffeo Sutton Park in 2022 by donating the wheelchair swing. (Image Credit: Jordan Davidson/NanaimoNewsNOW)

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Nanaimo Lions Club celebrating 80 years at Maffeo Sutton Park

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Other local initiatives include sponsoring free swim and skating sessions, their annual Christmas tree chipping fundraiser, and providing donations to local groups like Girl Guides, Nanaimo Women Helping Women, and much more.

He said youth health and wellness is a primary focus for Lions Clubs, originally inspired by a speech from Helen Keller at a Lions Club International Convention in Ohio in 1925, where she challenged them to be “Knights of the Blind.”

Locally, the Lions have worked with Nanaimo-Ladysmith School District to provide vision screenings for the last decade.

Huck said last year they provided vision screenings for over 2,000 local kids in grades one to five, with around 188 referred to optometrists.

“It’s really rewarding when you find a child that has obviously been having sight problems, and you get her some help. She’s probably been struggling at school because of that. In fact, I showed the result of one of the children to the principal, and she says, ‘Oh, that explains a lot’.”

He said last year alone, around $10,000 worth of scholarships and bursaries were given to about a dozen local kids, along with contributing to school lunch programs and sports teams.

“Very fortunate to have the support of the school district here. They gave us access to all the elementaries in town here. They also helped us organize it as well.”

The Lions “Great” Bridge, where the Milestone River meets the ocean, connects the Harbourfront Walkway from Maffeo Sutton Park to the Townsite Marina. (Image Credit: Jordan Davidson/NanaimoNewsNOW)

They also recently teamed up with the Vancouver Island University dental program at the request of the instructor to provide teeth checks for immigrant children.

Saturday’s events will start around 9:45 a.m. with local youth music group Fiddelium performing, followed by a greeting and land acknowledgement from Huck.

Speakers lined up for the day include past and present Lions Club members and mayor Leonard Krog.

Several cheque presentations will also be made, including $10,520 to B.C. Cancer, and an $8,000 cheque presented to the Nanaimo-Ladysmith Schools Foundation.

Huck said they’ll also be recruiting for new members, with the requirements being at least 18 years of age, with a desire to serve the community.

More information on how you can support the Nanaimo Lions Club or become a member can be found by emailing nanaimolions@gmail.com.

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