Castle Hill Lions has provided major contributions to the following organizations in the last twelve months,
Fred Hollows Foundation, with a contribution of $4000 from the club's general funds and a successful fundraising dinner held Oct 2009. For more information about the Hollows Foundation and its work click here.
St. Gabriel's School for Hearing Impaired Children, located in Castle Hill, with a contribution of $2500. For more information about the school click here
Youth In Search, an organization that empowers young people to take control of their lives, by giving them the opportunity and skills to develop their self-esteem and play a positive role in society. For more information about the programs click here
Lions Save Sight Foundation, located in Perth, the Lions Eye Institute is recognized as the most advanced eye institution in the Southern Hemisphere, with a contribution of $1000. For more information click here
Lions Core Blood Foundation aims to supply the cryonic chambers for the storage of collected stem cell packages, with a contribution of $1000. For more information click here
As a result of the Victorian Bushfire and the Queensland Flood Appeal in late 2008, the Lions club went out to the streets and the shopping centres in Jan 2009 and raised a total of $4826.35. Many thanks to the local community for their support.
Castle Hill Lions has also assisted the Castle Hill RSL in the fundraising of over $6000 for Tallowood Special School located in Kellyville, to fit out a special purpose 10 seat, wheelchair accessible bus for their students.
Further to the above, Castle Hill Lions has made a number of small contributions, totaling over $5000, to the following,
- ALCMF $1000
- Chile Earthquake Relief Fund $910
- Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund $1000
- Diabetes Australia $200
- Allzheimers Aust NSW $200
- Diabetes Kids Camp $200
- Nurses Scholarship Foundation $400
- Warrah Project Hills Rural Lions $300
- Gilroy College $250
- Planet Ark $220
- Lions Eye Health $120
- Lions Save Sight & Public Health Foundation $200
- Post Polio Awareness Project $200
- Lions Hearing Dogs $200
- Edna Geeland - Swaziland Clothing Appeal $200
- Lions National Raffle $150
- Prostate Cancer Research and Treatment $150
- Wrap with Love $132
- Lions Youth Quest $75
VIP Volunteer John Ras Remembered
At Lions Park opposite Knightsbridge Shopping Centre a special ceremony was held to celebrate the contributions to the Castle Hill Community of a tireless volunteer and former Castle Hill Lions Club President, John Ras. In his latter years John’s sight was failing and he proudly referred to himself as a VIP – a Visually Impaired Person.
Nearing the anniversary of his death a plaque celebrating John’s role in establishing Lions Park was jointly unveiled by Alex Hawke MP, Michael Richardson MP, Margaret Ras, and Simon McQuillan Castle Hill Lions Club President.
Michael Richardson, who had officially opened Lions Park in 1997, informed the assembled crowd of Lions Club members and friends of John Ras’s struggle to convince council that a park rather than a road would be more beneficial to local residents and students of Samuel Gilbert Primary School. Michael also highlighted John’s role as a young Dutch chef who arrived in Australia in 1951 and helped change ‘the two veg and meat’ habits of our people.
Alex Hawke praised John’s efforts as a local volunteer and noted that it was the democratic Australian way for Australian citizens to voice their opinions against unpopular decisions of all levels of Government in an attempt to make a better life for us all. The current park is testament to John Ras’s ongoing contribution to the quality of life enjoyed by our Castle Hill community.
After the unveiling of the plaque Simon McQuillan invited all present to congratulate Alex Hawke on his forthcoming marriage.
Take a Sunday morning stroll through Lions Park. Read the inscriptions on the plaques and the flagpole. Recall the contributions of people who shaped the history of our area. John Ras may be gone, but his contributions will be enjoyed by all of our residents.
