This is Lion Linda Boucher, of the Sault Ste Marie Lions Club, receiving her Years of Service Chevron having completed 10 years a Lion!! She has been and is currently their Health and Wellness Committee Chair. Congratulations, Lion Linda!
Sault Ste Marie Lions Club Participate in Vision Screening
RTOERO District 3 Algoma for their support of the Lions Club’s Vision Screening Program which has been in operation since 2008. The program runs from October through to the end of May each year and involves approximately 30 volunteers, which includes RTOERO members.As of the time of this photograph, 11 elementary schools and 250 senior kindergarten children in the Soo and Algoma area have been provided vision screening service with volunteers so far putting forth over 200 service hours. In this photograph are the main organizers of the Lions Club Vision Screening Program: Brian Janveau, Lion Barb Perry, Lion Maureen O’Shea and Eva MacKenna.
Lions Club of Sault Ste Marie Share Storytime with Santa
The Lions Club of Sault Ste Marie helped to host Storytime With Santa with the North Branch Library. Children and their families had opportunity to visit with Santa, listen to Christmas stories, complete Christmas crafts, participate in a seek and find and decorate gingerbread cookies. It was a wonderful time for all! The Lions club thanks the North Branch Library for this wonderful opportunity to serve our community in a fun way during the holiday season.
District A5 Backs District Governor Lion David Kidd’s 2023-20224 Project
This 2023-2024 year, our District Governor’s project was to raise money for Northern Ontario Families of Children with Cancer (NOFCC). Each year, the District Governor chooses a project that they ask the clubs in the district to contribute to. The NOFCC began in 1998 after several bereaved families in the Sudbury area started the group to help others like them that had to deal with the many issues in having a child out of town for treatment and still trying to maintain home, work and other family members. The NOFCC provides financial assistance as well as providing emotional support to these families of children with cancer.
In 2000, the NOFCC began fundraising activities to provide financial assistance to families as well as providing them with emotional support. Although this started as a Sudbury and area program, it has expanded their support to assist families throughout Northern Ontario. Even though it is hard to raise money for such a large area, past President Lorraine Chartier, would remind the group that “it would be too difficult for smaller communities to raise money due to their size. She would also remind them that families living in Northern Ontario had to deal with challenges that families living in Southern Ontario didn’t have and that northerners had to stick together as one community”. This group receives no government or hospital support and relies solely on fundraising and donations.
District Governor (DG) David Kidd, is a member of Lions Club of Sault Ste. Marie. This past year, he asked the 52 clubs and 1100 members in District A-5, from White River to Moosonee and Mattawa to Trout Creek, to please help him with his project. Normally the DG’s project will raise about $20,000.00. However this year, the project took on a life of it’s own. How many of us have not been touched by cancer and how many of those were children. This fueled the Lions to raise a whopping $53,000.00 plus, the largest DG project in A5’s history. (since the date of the presentation, more funds have been added)
As said by DG David Kidd, “Wow. Awesome, Talk about reaching out. You couldn’t ask for more. It’s helping everybody, It’s not just your city.” Thank you to DG Lion David Kidd for bringing this our District and raising more awareness for the group and Lions. Great Work A5.
Pictures: representatives from NOFCC, A5 Childhood Cancer chair Lion Jeanne Lachance, DG Lion David Kidd
Sault Ste Marie Lions Club Celebrates Past District Governor for 70 Years of Service
The Lions Club of Sault Ste. Marie had some special guests at its Dinner Meeting on April 12th. International Director Allen Snider travelled from Niagara-on-the-Lake to present a special award from Brian E. Sheehan, Lions Club International President, and a chevron recognizing 70 years of long-term service to Past District Governor Lion Peter Bissonnette. Peter’s sons, Bill and Donald also Past District Governors, and his daughter-in-law Dianne also attended the surprise celebration.
The Chevron Program recognizes Lions for their long-term service beginning at 10 years and continuing in five year increments until 75 years of service. Other Lions that received their chevrons that evening included: Cheryl Pavoni and Zak Good – 10 years, Rick Boucher -15 years and Ron Anderson – 50 years!
Peter became a Lion in Arthur, Ontario in 1953 following in his father’s footsteps. Over the years he was in the Lucknow, Teeswater, Ripley, Fort Erie and then St. Davids and District Lions Club where his wife Grace joined the Lioness Club. Lion Peter moved to the Sault and transferred to the Lions Club of Sault Ste. Marie in 2021.
He has been the recipient of many awards over the years including the Melvin Jones Fellowship, Brian Stevenson Fellowship, Helen Keller Award, Quest Fellowship and an International President’s Medal. He received the title of International Councillor as 100% District Governor in 1964-65, the last year this title was awarded.
Lion Peter was very proud of his awards but his greatest pride was to see his two sons become District Governors and they attended several international conventions together. Counting all the years the three generations have had in Lionism, Peter’s father Neill, Peter, his two sons, and Peter’s wife, it adds up to over 240 years!
“Thank you again to Past District Governor Lion Peter for dedicating 70 years to Lionism, for helping those less fortunate and for making a difference in the lives of all the communities he has served. “
Sault Ste Marie Lions Help Sault Area Hospital Foundation Purchase a Slit Lamp
Sault Ste Marie Lions Club Present Lions Quest Canada School Certificate
On behalf of Principal Linda Rochetta-Legacy, Vice Principal Allison Vance, St. Paul Catholic School, is presented a Lions Quest Canada School Certificate by Sault Ste. Marie Lions members: Past President Jim Russell and District A-5 Second Vice Governor David Kidd.
Lions Quest Canada is a PreK to Grade 12 Educational Program specifically designed for educators and focuses upon the healthy social-emotional development of our youth. This year the District A-5 Lions Organization provided over $19,000 worth of Lions Club International Foundation funding for approximately 50 educators to receive Lions Quest Canada SEL training and educational resources. The Sault Ste. Marie Lions Club has been very active in helping to roll out this District A-5 Grant opportunity to educators within the city and area.
Special congratulations to St. Paul Catholic School as 23 of its staff chose to participate in this special training, receiving over $8,000 worth of Lions funding to do so. Way to go, St. Paul Catholic School! Way to go, Sault Ste. Marie Lions Club!
Sault Ste Marie Lions Trunk & Treasure Event
The Sault Ste. Marie Lions Club held a Trunk and Treasures community Event in the parking lot of the Moose Lodge. Lions baked goods, organized, donated and sold items at the event. In addition, members of the general public also set up their trunks at the unique community yard sale. It was a wonderful day and the Lions enjoyed being with one another. All of the monies raised will go back to the community. What a great way for the Lions to get back out in the community and make their presence known after a long co-vid isolation.
Sault Ste Marie Lions Club & Lions Quest Program
The first 3 photos are in relation to the Sault Ste Marie Lions Club presenting a Lions Quest Information Booth during Children’s Mental Health Week, at the invitation of Algoma Public Health. In the first photo, the members present are President Cheryl Pavoni, Lions Quest District Chair Barb Perry, Carrie Jones of Social Services and Lion Kim Carter, Lions Quest Team. The third photo includes two of our Lions Club members: Lion Meagan Grisdale and Lion Trevor Fisher.
The fourth photo is of a current Sault Ste Marie grade 4 classroom that has embraced the Lions Quest Program