See below

Strides Lions Walk for Diabetes Sunday November 28th 11am

HEART CHILDREN RECEIVE $7,626.10

Our Winning Young Ambassador

Race night for Henderson Riding for Disabled raises funds

SAUSAGE SIZZLE AT
BLOCKHOUSE BAY FOODTOWN

4th Saturday of the Month 9pm

and Most

MAINSTREET MARKET DAYS

$9,051.20 RAISED FOR KIDNEY KIDS

Westfield St Lukes and Blockhouse Bay-Lynfield Lions Club have recently raised $9,051.20 for Kidney Kids. This will enable Kidney Kids to provide support and information for families who have children with kidney disease.

Blockhouse Bay Lion Lianne Sloan recently visited local Blockhouse Bay residents Andrea and Michael Spears who fully support the Kidney Kids organisation.

As a new mother Andrea was given a Kidney Kids pamphlet by a close friend which disclosed some of the symptoms of children with urinary reflux. At two weeks old Michael had symptoms which indicated to her that a visit to the doctor was needed. After a urine test was done it was quickly established he had a urinary tract infection and was referred to Starship. At eight weeks of age it was discovered he had Grade 4 (moderately severe) urinary reflux and would require treatment. If he had not had this treatment he would not be here today. Andrea’s message to parents is that it is not normal for babies to have urinary tract infections and that they should request a urine test.

Two years later and Michael’s body had healed itself without an operation being necessary – a real miracle – although he will still have to have annual checks until he is fifteen years old. For many children with kidney disease this does not happen and the support of the Kidney Kids organisation is particularly required. For Andrea having people who knew what she was going through, who could give advice and listen to her was very important. Michael is now nine years old and Andrea is often the one giving information and support to other families who have children who have urinary or gastric reflux.

Through experimentation Andrea discovered by using a foam seat which reclined helped Michael with his gastric reflux and now the Reflux Comfort Feeder is helping many other new parents who have children with gastric reflux.

Both Blockhouse Bay-Lynfield Lions and Westfield St Lukes are delighted to have supported Kidney Kids as they continue to help many families in Auckland and throughout the country.

In November we organised the Strides Promotion in Craigavon Park. Some opposition from Gypsy Carnival but in turn it brought a few more people to see the Diabetes food ingredients display.

The Old Money Collection is winding up for the time being. It has been a great ongoing project and Ray has done a splendid job in organising it whilst all the members who have devoted hours to sorting can get satisfaction from the knowledge that all that money will help with youth projects. Be interesting to learn how much we have collected.

HEART CHILDREN RECEIVE $7,626.10

A joint project between Westfield St Lukes Shopping Mall and the Lions Club of Blockhouse Bay has led to $7,626.10 being donated to Heart Children New Zealand Inc. in February. The funds were raised from donations from generous shoppers during the gift wrapping service at Westfield St Lukes Shopping Mall over the Christmas period.

Both Blockhouse Bay Lions and Westfield St Lukes staff were happy to support Heart Children New Zealand Inc. which recently celebrated their 25th year of supporting children with heart conditions and their families. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in young children with 12 babies being born in New Zealand each week with a heart defect. Other children develop heart disease through rheumatic fever, cardiomyopathy or Kawasaki disease. Every year 450 open heart surgeries take place on New Zealand children with a thousand children a year being treated at Auckland’s Paediatric Cardiac Unit at Starship Hospital, the only unit of its kind in New Zealand. Heart Children provide support and useful information to families, supply anti-coagulant machines and medical alert bracelets and run camps for the youth to have fun with children with similar stories to their own with medical staff close at hand.

Lion Lianne Sloan, Westfield St Lukes staff Jacqui Baigent, Simone van Delft and Matthew Thorne (“Monty” the Monkey) and Kate Souvorova and Liz Beck from Heart Children NZ visited Auckland’s Paediatric Cardiac Unit at Starship Hospital recently and met some of the families supported by Heart Children. The help received by the families from Heart Children is appreciated and makes life easier for them, especially for those a long way from home.

This was the 5th year of the partnership between the Lions and Westfield St Lukes Shopping Mall with over $27,000 being raised for Ronald McDonald House, Camp Quality, the Neonatal Unit at Auckland Hospital, Starship Hospital’s Cancer Ward and Heart Children New Zealand Inc. Already work is started on next year …

LIONS CLUBS YOUNG AMBASSADORS AWARD

This award is open to our Community Minded Young Citizens, where contestants are judged on service, communications skills, attitude and goal.

Hemisha congratulated by District Governor Colin Tywman on winning Zone 6 Young Ambassadors Award

Hemisha is a year 13 student from Lynfield College

Hameesh with her proud mother and flanked by Region Chairman Nancy Prentice and Club Secretary Alan Gray

LIONS CLUBS YOUNG AMBASSADOR SHINES AGAIN

Champion Lions Clubs' Young Ambassador Hemisha is third from the left, flanked by District Governor Colin Twyman, Youth Activities Anita Moore and the seven other competitors

Hemisha Prya who recently won the local zone finals of the Lions Young Ambassadors competition in West Auckland has gone onto win the whole District finals at the 202K Lions Clubs Annual Convention in Whangarei. In turn winning a $2500 grand prize to further her education. Hemisha won against stiff competition by seven other finalists from the area Northland to Thames.

The judges were impressed with her extensive C.V., her community involvement and leadership abilities. Hemisha's final speech sealed the verdict with many a tear being shed by the audience.

Sponsored by Blockhouse Bay-Lynfield Lions Club in both competitions she is a student of Lynfield College, attaining many honours and awards there. The Lions are proud to sponsor her and will encourage and mentor her further. They are hopeful she will become their youngest Lion.

Hemisha with (left to right) Blockhouse Bay-Lynfield Lions Club President Dennis Karl, Secretary Alan Gray, her Uncle.

Hemisha delivers her speech

Hemisha makes her acceptance address with other contestents at the rear

The Lions Young Ambassadors of the 21st Century Award
program is part of the Lions Opportunities for Youth
initiative. The mission of Lions Opportunities for Youth is:
To provide the young people of the world with opportunities
for achievement, learning, contribution and service,
individually and collectively, through sponsorship of activities
identified as best practices in the field of youth development.

A good outcome to the RDA fundraising

(To see the actual evenings highlights scroll down)

There were smiles all round when Norma Hayward of Henderson Riding for the Disabled shown here with rider Aimee Gray, received a cheque for $4538 from Alan Gray Secretary of Blockhouse Bay-Lynfield Lions Club. This was the outcome of a successful "Fun Racing" evening organised by the club with assistance from Henderson Lions on the night.
Young Aimee's improving motor skills and confidence since receiving special training by RDA inspired her grandparents Barbara and Alan Gray to get their Lions Club in behind the campaign to help build an all weather arena. This will then enable pupils to be taught all year round.
The cheque is going into the special Arena Building account of Henderson Riding for the Disabled.
If any one wishes to donate further to help build the arena call Norma Hayward 813 3030.
More information on www.hendersonrda.org.nz

A Winning Night at the Gallops

Henderson Riding for the Disabled Scores with our Fundraiser

Blockhouse Bay-Lynfield Lions in partnership with Henderson Lions Club held a fun night of Horse Racing on Saturday 31st October at Blockhouse Bay Community Centre

This was in aid of the Henderson Riding for the Disabled and their goal of building a covered all weather arena. Go to http://www.hendersonrda.org.nz/?page_id=7 and read all about the aims and achievement of this splendid organisation then learn about the arena at http://www.hendersonrda.org.nz/?page_id=54

A fun night was had by over one hundred guests at the "Races".

The race card had six events including "hurdles". Six horses in each race vied for positions. The horses were auctioned prior to each sponsored race and jockeys appointed from the winning bidders. The "tote" was opened and punters placed their odds.

The race commenced with the roll of the dices or is that deuces, any way each coloured dice represented a horse and what ever number came up that was the squares run. Exact numbers were requiired to jump the water course or hurdles and at the finish. So even a front runner could miss out if a 2 was required and 6 came up.

Sound complicated? Never mind everyone soon got the hang of it and cheered from the sideline. Some good money was won and some was lost. But the winners on the evening was Henderson Riding for the disabled. Provisional figures put the money raised for the covered arena at $4538. Plus as a result of inspiration from this promotion Titirangi RSA have donated another $500.

Thanks must go to Barbara Gray who initiated this project in discussion with Norma Hayward then brought it to the Blockhouse Bay- Lynfield Lions Club via Lion Alan. Norma addressed one of our meetings and we moved to adopt a fundraiser for the covered arena. This was then driven by Lion Lianne Sloan who did most of the organising in consultation with the club, and assisted by Lion Nancy Prentice to get sponsors. Pres Dennis Karls employer Tegel adopted lead sponsorship role followed by others listed below.

Henderson Lions came aboard early on with their special skills in running "Race Evenings". So then the rest was upto the patrons who in the end made the evening a success by coming along to support us.

Many means were used to publicise, including flyers, posters, local paper articles, Events in Auckland web site and Facebook. The latter interestingly enough drew a response from PDG Jim and Lion Sue Jaggers in in Oregon America who has a disabled son, and wished us well and regretted that they could not come.

See the photos after a word from our sponsors!!!