Winter 2021Past Issues Power, Peace, and PurposeAs an 11-year-old boy fighting cancer in 1999, Michael Hunt learned many lessons. One has been unforgettable: “Breathe in the light. Blow out the darkness.” Twenty years later, he is a black belt in Tai Kwon Do who works to help kids learn the power they have inside.more...Service Is LoveGreetings, Lions. Over the years I have had the great honor and blessing of a loving family. But I’ve also found love in unexpected places. I’ve seen it in the eyes of an orphan as he played sports on a sunny afternoon. I’ve felt it in the warm hands of an elderly woman thanking me for helping her to see again. And I’ve known it in the faces of my fellow Lions. The men and…more...Annual Leo Video Contest Showcases Young TalentThe Binan Leo Club in the Philippines is this year’s top winner of the annual Leo Video Contest. It is the 6th year of the annual contest, which celebrates the many varieties of Leos and their service projects since the inception of the Leo Club Program 63 years ago. This year Leos were asked to show how they served safely, stayed connected, and inspired others with this year’s theme #HopeConnects. There was a total of…more...A Redbud RevivalWhen spring arrives in Emporia, Kansas, it is with joy and a flourish of bright pink flowers.more...San Pedro Club Foregoes Dinner and Dancing for ServiceIt was an anniversary that was supposed to be marked by dinner and dancing. But with COVID-19 restrictions in place, the 22 members of the San Pedro Lions Club in Belize had to come up with a new way to celebrate.more...Potato PirouetteWhen COVID-19 hit Lions in France, they didn’t stop dancing, they just changed their moves.more...Joy RidesSometimes a person just needs to get out of the house. And sometimes that person just needs a little extra help getting out.more...Christmas Tree Sales SurgeOne bit of good news ended our pandemic year. Sales of live Christmas trees on Lion lots were brisk as families looked for safe outdoor holiday activities and ways to keep spirits up. For the Lions clubs with tree lots, more sales means more money for community projects in 2021. According to the Michigan Christmas Tree Association, Michigan tree farmers saw as much as a 50 percent increase in their sales of Christmas trees this…more...Be Our GuestsWhen a powerful earthquake hit the Aegean Sea on the western coast of Turkey this fall, Lions and Leos were the first non-governmental organization at any of the rescue sites. “Where can I go?” “How can I find the authorities?” “Where will I live?” “Who will feed my children?” Although the Lions didn’t have immediate answers to these questions and the many more that would follow from the thousands in despair, people knew the Lions…more...From the AshesIt was after her husband died in 2015 that Karen Crook became a Lion, at least that is the official story. But it really goes back to her parents – and Paradise. That is the name of the Northern California town located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountain range where Crook’s parents moved in 1998. They actually lived in Magalia, a community just above Paradise, but many people simply call it all Paradise.…more...Feed MeAh, the pancake breakfast. A great Lion tradition filled with all the things Lions love: filling bellies, seeing friendly faces, and raising money for a good cause. Pancakes have been around since at least 600 B.C. And pancakes breakfasts – complete with towering stacks of the fluffy cakes and the general merriment we see at most Lions events – became a tradition sometime around 1100 A.D., when folks began cooking them in large quantities to…more...Leaving It All BehindLiz McMillan was at a community event in Ashburton District, New Zealand, about an hour’s drive from Christchurch, when she heard the news. A white supremacist had attacked Muslim worshippers at two mosques in New Zealand’s second largest city of Christchurch on the South Island, killing 51 people and injuring dozens more. The gunman, Brenton Tarrant, was headed to a third mosque when he was apprehended. That mosque was in Ashburton. “It was something you…more...Waiting for the ShotBob Mead-Colegrove was a nervous wreck. A new hockey dad, Bob had signed up to play music for his son Andrew’s hockey game. Andrew was playing goalie for Team USA against Team Canada and, at 16, he was the youngest person on the team. Bob settled in next to the people running the scoreboards, who could tell he was tense and tried to reassure him. Mead-Colegrove had never imagined that his son would actually play…more...We Can OvercomeGreetings, Lions. The past year has been one marked by struggle. The struggle to stay healthy; the struggle to serve those in need; the struggle to maintain some sense of who we are in the face of such unprecedented circumstances. But a new year lies ahead. And with that, a renewed sense of purpose and meaning. When I think of all we have faced I am reminded of the words of Helen Keller, who praised…more...Embracing the Beauty and Value of All PeopleThe world has changed a lot since Lions was founded in 1917. And Lions have changed with the times. What started as an inspired idea has turned into a global movement, bringing kindness and compassion to countless millions through the incredibly diverse projects engineered by the equally diverse men and women serving as Lions.more...Improving Vision and Well-Being in PalestineIn the State of Palestine, lack of eye care, often attributed to poverty and restricted access to health services, has caused undue personal and financial hardship. Lions see the hurt this causes their communities and with support from LCIF’s SightFirst program, they are changing that reality. Determined to improve community health and well-being, Lions are using a US$426,655 SightFirst LCIF grant and collaborating with St. John’s Eye Hospital Group (SJEHG), the primary patient referral center…more...Lions Quest Helps Students Adjust to Changes Caused by COVID-19It should be no surprise that COVID-19 is affecting today’s children and their education. Adjusting to online learning, adapting to a new way of life, and learning about an uncertain and seemingly ever-changing virus is giving children a level of stress they may have never known before. Though life can be a little scary these days, Lions Quest, Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF)’s social and emotional learning (SEL) curriculum, is helping children adjust. Lions Quest…more...LCIF Special FeatureHello Fellow Lion. I am excited about this Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) feature, highlighting valuable grant information, appreciation from beneficiaries touched by LCIF and Lions, a milestone celebration of SightFirst, Campaign 100 resources, exciting Lions Quest changes, and more! In exploring your foundation, I am confident you will gain new perspective and an inspired heart. In friendship, Gudrun Yngvadottir Chairperson Lions Clubs International Foundation Read LCIF Special Feature here.more...A Blueberry Orchard for GenerationsAn Empty Space Next door to the Albany Victory Gardens in Albany, New York, were unsightly, deserted lots. There were homes on the land that were previously declared uninhabitable, so they sat empty, dangerous, and unbeneficial to the environment. Lion Gregory Sheldon envisioned a better use for this land. He partnered with Albany Victory Gardens, which purchased the land, demolished the homes and, along with local organizations and community members, Sheldon cleared the land of…more...