by Carol Baldwin
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Wakaw Recorder
The Lions believe strongly in the young people of today being encouraged and supported to become the leaders of tomorrow.
A statement supporting that appears at the top of the Youth page on their website. It reads, “Young people are a dynamic force for good… That’s why we devote ourselves to serving youth as beneficiaries, youth as partners, and empowering youth as service leaders.”
In support of that belief, the Rosthern Lions Club presented the current class of grade five students at the Rosthern Community School with calculators on Valentine’s Day. Every year the Rosthern Lions Club sponsors new calculators for the grade five students to ensure that every student “has access to the tools needed for success through their school years.”
Club President Nelson Lopez and Past President Bernie Kramchynsky made the presentation of approximately thirty Texas Instruments TI-30XIIS scientific calculators to the students.
Earlier in the month Lopez and Kramchynsky were present at the school to present prizes for the Lions Peace Poster Contest. For over three decades, Lions clubs around the world have sponsored the contest in schools and youth groups.
Through the contest, children have the opportunity to express their vision of peace through their artistic creativity. In response to the theme Dare to Dream, Rosthern Community School students, Heidi Nell, was awarded third place, Gail Caligagan was awarded the second-place finish, and first place in the Rosthern contest was awarded to Yeohann Cortez. Yeohann also won first place in District 5SKN and first place in Multiple District 5. Her original poster was forwarded to Chicago for judging at Lions International.
The theme for the 2024-25 contest is “Peace Without Limits.” Students who are or will be aged 11, 12, or 13 as of November 15, 2024, are eligible to participate in the International Peace Poster Contest. As described on the Lions website, lionsclubs.org, the posters will “speak to our world’s infinite potential for kindness once we commit to pursuing the idea of peace without limits.”
The Mission of the Lions Club is to “empower volunteers to serve their communities,” while on a grander scale, meeting humanitarian needs and encouraging peace and international understanding. From their earliest days, the goal of Lions Clubs has been to bring both health and hope to people, whether that is the people of their local community or the global community. Serving is their mission, their goal, and their journey.
In February, Lions Clubs around the world have been focusing on raising awareness of childhood cancer. Globally 400,000 children are diagnosed with cancer every year and nine in ten of those diagnosed live in low and middle-income countries. In high-income countries, at least eighty percent of children diagnosed with cancer survive. In low and middle-income countries, the survival rate drops to less than thirty percent.
LCIF has partnered with Global HOPE (a program of Texas Children’s Hospital) to address the huge discrepancies in outcomes from childhood cancer in developing countries compared to developed countries. Through its several different foundation grants, from July of 2023 to January 2024, LCIF has awarded sixteen childhood cancer-related grants totaling over $1.78 million in US funds.
The annual chocolate bunny fundraiser for the Lions Club has kicked off. The popularity of the sales is reflected in the speed at which the clubs sell out of the favourite delicacy, but there are also many other ways to support the local Lions Clubs.
Rosthern, Wakaw, and Cudworth all have local clubs and raise money in a variety of ways. The Rosthern Lions host an annual pasta supper, the Wakaw Lions run many burger stands throughout the summer months, create a local phone book, operate an emergency food bank, and this year will be hosting a triathlon in April, and the Cudworth Lions host an annual poker rally, a Family Day Scavenger Hunt, and run children’s activities during the town’s Great Western Days to name just a few.
As well all the clubs readily welcome new members and with over 1.4 million members worldwide, members are part of a global family with Lions Club International Foundation as their charitable arm.
