We collect used glasses throughout the year. There's a big YELLOW mailbox in front of Stop N Shop as well as smaller white and blue Lions Club boxes in Town Hall, Post Office, Liberta's Spirit Shoppe, Opticare, Dr. Amatuzzi's office, Dr. Berman's office (Family Eye Care), Dr. Doty's office, Ridgefield Bank (Danbury Road) and Dr. Reynold's office. The glasses are sent to a school for the deaf in New Jersey where they are cleaned, read and packaged to be distributed to people in third world countries by Lions and opticians. Our club collected over 4,800 pairs of glasses since we started counting 2 years ago .This is an ongoing project for our club.
~At our January dinner meeting, the PEACE POSTER winner is invited and presented a check for their effort. The posters are hung in the Ridgefield Library the latter part of October for the community to enjoy. A committee of local artists judge the entries. This is the month that we place a letter in the local paper asking any town organization that needs a tangible item or items for them to operate better, to submit a request for funds. 2010 will find us trying a new fundraiser. We will be working in conjunction with Piccolo's Pizza. They will give the club 50% of their receipts for 2 consecutive days for people who eat in, take out or have a delivery that present a flyer made by the club.
~February finds us conducting a VALENTINE DAY FOOD DRIVE. A few years ago our Social Services Director told us that many groups give food to the elderly and poor during the holidays, but than forget them the rest of the year, thus we started our Valentine Day Drive. The local schools gather non-perishable food that we collect and deliver to the Ridgefield Food Pantry. Some of our members attend the MID-WINTER CONFERENCE. This year found us in full force to support the nomination of the 1st Vice District Governor---our own LION LINDA MAGGS! Lion Teri Liberta gave the nomination speech and Lion Helen Bellusi made the seconding speech. Lion Linda is on her way!!!!!
~In March of 2008 we started a new fundraiser--ANNUAL ART AUCTION. It proved to be profitable as well as fun. The price of a ticket includes food, beer, and wine in addition to be able to participate in a silent auction, raffle and bidding on 125 pieces of art work of all kinds. Our 4th Annual Art Auction took place on March 26th. It was the best ever. Monies raised from this event were donated to the Boys & Girls Club. March is also when we present checks to representatives of the various organizations selected to receive monies by our allocations committee. Some years numerous organizations receive money and other years we concentrate on just one organization. This year the Ridgefield Boys & Girls Club was the sole recipient. Checks can be from $500.00 to $7,500.00. THE 2012 AUCTION WILL BE MARCH 4TH AT THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB. THE RECIPIENT WILL BE THE LOCAL SCHOOLS. WE ARE PARTNERING WITH THE PTA'S.
~April finds members of our club participating in RID LITTER DAY that our town does. We clean debris from the area of our ADOPT-A-ROAD project. Members also shake the cans for SIGHT SAVER DAY throughout town. Many members participate in the annual VNA HEALTH DAY FAIR doing eyescreenings for people in the community.
~Our largest income producing fundraiser is held each May--ANNUAL GOLF TOURNAMENT. We had our 19th annual tournament on May 25th at the Ridgefield Golf Course. IT WAS A HUGE SUCCESS. Thanks to all who helped in any way!!! We hold our annual AWARDS DINNER at our May dinner meeting where distinguished members of the club are awarded the Melvin Jones Fellow, Ambassador of Sight, Knight of the Blind and Fideco Fellowship awards. The club boasts 28 Melvin Jones Fellows, 11 Knights of the Blind, 7 Ambassadors of Sight and 2 Fidelco Fellowships. Some of our members attend the annual STATE CONVENTION. Look for the RIDGEFIELD LIONS in full force at the 2011 convention to cheer on our own LION LINDA MAGGS FOR 1st VICE DISTRICT GOVERNOR!! Many of our members march in the annual Memorial Day parade with one member dressed in our lions costume.
~June gives us the pleasure of presenting our SCHOLARSHIP to a graduating Ridgefield High School senior at Senior Awards night at the school. Our scholarship committee spends countless number of hours selecting the person that fulfills all the requirements. 2011's recipient, Madeline Wolfe will be receiving her check this month. Our new officers and board members are inducted at our monthly dinner meeting.
~Some of our members attend the INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION which is always a treat. They report back to the club on all they learned, saw and did. The new officers and board present a yearly budget for the club's approval and a new year begins for us "TO SERVE". 2011's International Convention will be held in Seattle, Washington. Our own Lion Linda Maggs attended. She is now 1st Vice District Governor of district 23A--first time ever for our club!!
~ Our annual FAMILY PICNIC is in August. We have alot of great chefs in our club!! Last year the members of the LITTLE LEAGUE team that we sponsor attended and presented the club with a trophy and plaque they received for their winning season.
~We tried a new fundraiser in September 2009--a PASTA DINNER that was at the Ridgefield Parks and Recreation Center. Tickets are only $10.00 per adult and $5.00 for children. The menu consists of salad, pasta, meatballs, bread & butter, cake, coffee and soft drinks. We'd love to see you there. We are planning a fun night with family, friends and good food.
It was a huge success in both 2009 and 2010. Our 2011 was even bigger and better than than past 2 years. We thank all of you that came on September 22nd. Hope to see you next September.
~October is another busy month for the Ridgefield Lions. We will once again be doing MONTH FOR SIGHT when we place more collection boxes for used glasses throughout town, especially for the Halloween Walk. We also try to encourage the schools to do the project to teach the children about helping others less fortunate and recycling. Our annual SENIOR DINNER is also held in October at Ballard Green recreation room. We serve the seniors a lasagna dinner. The Gaslight Gang banjo players entertain the seniors that night. It's a most rewarding project. Our PEACE POSTER CONTEST is held. All children between the ages of 11-13 at East Ridge Middle School, Scotts Ridge Middle School and the Ridgefield Boys and Girls Club are eligible to take part in the contest this year. Once again their work will be hung at the Ridgefield Library. The works of art will be judged by local artists.
~November finds our key members attending the Leadership Training Seminars to help them with their jobs in the club. No big projects are undertaken during the month as we are recouping from October and getting ready for a busy December.
~The first weekend of December finds us doing POSTCARDS FOR THE TROOPS during the annual Holiday Stroll that the Downtown Ridgefield Merchants conduct every year. We print postcards of scenes in town that will bring pleasant memories to our hometown troops. People attending the stroll address and write to the Ridgefield troops which our club than mails. Last year we sent goodie packages to the hometown troops overseas also. Members also participate in the BREAKFAST WITH SANTA project where we help with back drops for the pictures, blow balloons, serve food, and whatever else needs our help. This year we are the sponsors for a 5K Race with the proceeds going to a boy in the community that has cancer and is struggling to survive as well as not losing his leg. The second Saturday of the month will find members RINGING THE SALVATION ARMY BELLS throughout town. It is most rewarding even though we usually freeze!! Our annual HOLIDAY PARTY started a new feature a few years ago. Father Peter, once a priest in Ridgefield, now is at a poor parish in Stamford. While talking to him one day he told me that the children of his parish receive little or no gifts at Christmas due to the poverty in the area. Members of the club now bring new, unwrapped toys to our holiday party that Father Peter gives to the children of his parish on Christmas Eve.
In addition to everything we do for the community, we also contribute to Lion sponsored projects such as: Camp Hemlocks, Clerf, CRIS, Fidelco, Low Vision, LPCCI, LCIF, District Pride, and the Governor's project.
Some of the organizations that we have helped in the area are: Danbury Hospital Woman's Heart Clinic, VNA, Meals on Wheels, Ridgefield Library, EJ Carfi House, Southbury Training School, eye glasses for the needy in town, holiday lights for the trees at the Community Center, Founders Hall, Ridgefield Theatre Barn, Ridgefield ABC, Ridgefield Chorale,The Discovery Center as well as "sweat equity" for the Ballard Greenhouse and Ability Beyond Disability, to name a few.
Committees and Chairs for 2011-12 Projects
ADOPT-A-ROAD LOU-ANN SMITH
ART AUCTION CHUCK HANCOCK/MIKE LIBERTA
CARDS FOR THE TROOPS TERI LIBERTA
DINNER AT PICCOLO'S CHUCK HSNCOCK
ELECTION AND AWARDS TERI LIBERTA
EYEGLASS COLLECTION BOB LOWELL
FAMILY PICNIC ART MEYER
FEBRUARY FOOD COLLECTION LOU-ANN SMITH
GOLF TOURNAMENT GARY SMITH
GOLF RAFFLE PRIZES CHUCK HANCOCK/MIKE LIBERTA
HOLIDAY PARTY LINDA MAGGS
JUNGLE CHATTER TERI LIBERTA
MEMBERSHIP VAIDA WHIPPLE/LINDA MAGGS
MEMORIAL DAY PARADE PAUL TEPFER
PASTA DINNER MIKE LIBERTA/CHUCK HANCOCK
PEACE POSTER CONTEST DANTE LIGI/HAROLD HVAL
PHOTOGRAPHY HAROLD HVAL
PUBLICITY BOB LOWELL
SANTA BREAKFAST KAREN FACINI
SALVATION ARMY BELLS MIKE LIBERTA
SCHOLARSHIP HAROLD HVAL
SENIOR DINNER JOYCE LIGI
SPEAKERS LINDA MAGGS
SPRING AWARDS DINNER LINDA MAGGS
VNA HEALTH DAY BOB LOWELL/RUSS KAMENSKY
WEBSITE TERI LIBERTA
