North Bay Lions Give Back to Local Organizations

The North Bay Lions club has always given back to their community and they have done so again in a big way.  Multiple presentations have been made to deserving organizations that help those in need in the community.  $1,000.00 was donated to each of the following groups: Meals on Wheels, North Bay Foodbank, Low Income People Involvement (LIPI), North Bay Crisis Centre, Salvation Army & Amelia Rising.  These are just some many groups that this Lions club has supported and continues to support.

Meals on Wheels- Lions Ellen & Kim

North Bay Foodbank-Lions Ellen, Debbra & Gwen

Low Income People Involvement (LIPI)- Lions Gwen & Ellen

North Bay Crisis Centre- Lions Deborah & Ellen

Salvation Army- Lions Deborah, Ellen & Gwen

Amelia Rising

North Bay Lions Telethon & Bonfield Streaming Party

The North Bay and area Lions hold a telethon each year to raise money to give kids and families a Merry Christmas.  One of the clubs involved, the Bonfield Lions, had a streaming party this year at their clubhouse to support the telethon.

Bonfield is a small community about ½ hour outside of North Bay and decided to have a fundraiser for the telethon.  With the help of local businessman, Rolly Desgroseilliers of Rolly’s Pit Stop, they had games, food and a turkey draw.

For the turkey draw, Rolly went to businesses and individuals in the community to donate money or gifts for the draws, with the money being used to purchase turkeys and hams to raffle.  Between turkeys, hams, toys and other gifts, everyone had a chance to win a prize.  With the telethon playing on the television, the fun began with the raffle.  Each round of draws was met with shouts of joy, laughter and groans of defeat from those that didn’t win.  At the and, the raffle raised more than $1,500.00 that was donated to the telethon.

In the meantime at Canadore College, the broadcast students from Canadore College and the Lions were involved with the production of the telethon.  Several of the local Lions clubs, including the Widdifield Lions, donated to the cause as well as volunteering for the event.  There were several acts including The Hurricanes and Jennifer Plummer to keep those watching tapping their toes and donating.  Shown on Cogeco, the telethon raised more than $23,000.00 to give a little bit of help to those in need this Christmas season.  Looking forward to next year’s production.

North Bay Lions Hold a Thank You Party for Lion Eli (Shorty) Jodouin

Many people have memorial services after they have passed, but not many have a “Thank You” party to celebrate all of the wonderful things they have done while they are still here to enjoy it.  The family of Lion Shorty Jodouin, as well as the Lions Club of North Bay, Golden Age Club, Elks Club and several others, decided to celebrate the life and accomplishments of Shorty with a wonderful party.

For those of you who do not know him, Eli “Shorty” Jodouin was born in 1937 in Sturgeon Falls.  His family moved to North Bay in 1941 and there he stayed.  In 1952, he had his first job as a certified electric motor rewinder at 65 cents an hour.  He continued to train and became an electrician.  In 1955, when North Bay built the North Bay Memorial Gardens, Shorty was one of the ones hired to install the electrical wiring.  He worked at the gardens for 50 years in addition to starting his own electrical business called Shorty’s Electric, before his first retirement.

While he worked as an electrician, he employed many young men from the community to train them as electricians.  Some of these men gave testimonials at his party including one man who credited Shorty with giving him a career and the life he has today.  He also employed many of the hockey players from the gardens with summer jobs to help them save up money for their schooling and hockey.

Shorty was also a popular DJ for 55 years before retiring (again).  He loved music and has written many songs, some even going to Nashville.  He was also inducted into the Nippissing Country Music Association Hall of Fame in 2011.  One of the highlights of this career according to his family is when he got to sing “Picture in a Frame” with Moe Bandy on stage.  They had the curtains closed at first and Moe sang the 1st part and Shorty sand the 2nd.  No one knew there were two different singers until they opened the curtain.  This was “Shorty’s song” from that day on.

If you are wondering what this has to do with Lions, well Shorty joined the North Bay Lions in 1967 and is still an active member after 57 years.  Although his family wants him to slow down, this is the one organization he is not giving up.  During his years as a Lion, he has been presented with the Helen Keller Award, Melvin Jones and Judge Brian Stevenson awards.  He has held positions as President, Zone Chair, Region Chair, Vice President, Board of Directors and any committee that needed his help.  He has volunteered for the clubs fundraising and community events including the pancake breakfasts, telethon, tag day, shopping sprees, pack sacks, Christmas parades, dances in which he was the DJ or his group played, and too many others to mention here.

Some things people did not know about Lion Shorty was his philanthropic side.  He was always generous with his time or donating prizes to the club for fundraisers, but here are a few things this reporter did not even know.  Lion Shorty ran dances with a small group from Redbridge, Ontario to raise money for the Daffodil Lodge at the HSN Cancer Center.  He donated his time as the DJ and they raised over $133,000.00 to donate.  In addition, he paid for tickets each year to the Country Music festival in North Bay and donated them anonymously to families that could not afford otherwise to go.  He helped to raise money for a local boy that needed a Cochlear Implant and that boy’s mother made the cake for the Thank You party.

Shorty was recognized with several certificates from the province, city and federal representatives.  In addition, the North Bay Lions also presented Shorty with another award for his long running service with TV Bingo in North Bay.  He has been working at this bingo since it started in 1969 and has only retired (again) from this after 55 years, due to health issues.

Shorty is now taking a break from all of his former groups, except the Lions.  When I visited him in the hospital recently, he was looking forward to moving into a retirement home due to his issues with walking.  However, he assured me that if he had to take the handitransit, get a ride, walk or crawl, he will still be at the North Bay Lions meetings that start again in the fall.  A dedicated Lion that all who know him, love him.  Looking forward to many more years Lion Shorty.

North Bay Lions Serving in Their Community

As one of our international causes, many of the clubs of A5 collect used eyeglasses to send to 3rd world countries.  The North Bay Lions club was busy packing up some of these glasses to send to Sudbury which are then sent by pallet to our Canadian shipper to send overseas.  This is a vital service as many of the people receiving these glasses have never had a pair in their lives.

Pictured left to right Lions Ellen Thibeault, Kim Ransom, Sharon Fleguel, Debra Armstrong and Glenda Chappelle.

 

 

Another important fundraiser that the North Bay Lions are proud to be a part of is the Tim Horton’s Smile Cookie campaign.  All of the funds raised go back to local charities and non-profits such as the Lions clubs and telethons.  Some of the members putting the finishing touches on dozens and dozens of cookies are Lions Ellen Thibeault, Barry Fitzgerald, Frank Perras, Bonnie Fitzgerald, Kim Ransom, and Sharon Fleguel.  What a great job Lions.