Lions Clubs International celebrated its 100th Birthday in 2017. The Rome Lions Club is celebrating it’s 65th year in 2017, and shows no signs of stopping the good works it has performed for the community since it was first chartered on October 21, 1952.
Standing Projects for the Community
Community Outreach Chair Lion Dale Rashford
This project is involved with identifying and assisting with needs in the Community. Beneficiaries of this committee have included The Jervis Public Library, the New York State School for the Deaf, the Rome Art & Community Center, Rome Catholic School, Rome Home, and the Capitol Theater among others!
Hearing Conservation Chair Lion Susan Bailey
This project strives to get people hearing aids for people who are financially challenged and unable to get them otherwise. This project also collects hearing aids that are no longer being used and submits them to the foundations for cleaning and refurbishing, so they can be used again. By working with a network of Audiology Professionals and some Lions Foundations, we have been successful in helping people enjoy the world of sound again.
Programs
In order for the Club to be able to better understand the needs that are out in the community, we invite speakers to come and let us know what is needed and how we may be able to help. Through this project we have been able to give monetary donations to the Rome Rescue Mission, Loaves and Fishes, and Lucy’s House in just the last year!
Sight Conservation Chair Lion Mary Chmielewski
Like the hearing conservation project, this one helps those who would not otherwise be able to afford glasses to get some. Also, like the hearing conservation project they collect glasses to be cleaned and readied for someone else by sending them to the Lions Foundations. By coordinating with a network of eye care professionals they have also been successful in helping people get the gift of sight again.
“Fun”draising Activities
In order to be able to assist with the various needs in the community, we need to raise monies to do it. We like to have at least a little fun doing it so we have 4 main activities to do so.
Rome Lions Club Annual Golf Tournament:
September 2018
With an entry fee of $80, you get 18 holes of golf, cart, lunch, dinner (steak!) and beverages out on the course. It’s a Captain and crew format. Registration starts at 8:15 AM with a shotgun start at 9:15 AM. Don’t have a team? No worries! Come anyhow, we’ll form teams.
Oh, and let’s not forget about the fun and prizes! Contests include: the longest drive, closest to the pin, skins, and beat the pro! Sounds like a great day! We’ll see you there!
Blind Seals: November 2017 Chair: Lion Mary Chmielewski
Annual Rome Lions Art Auction: 2018
Chair: Lion Susan Bailey
For this project we are partnering with Arin Ross auctions to make this event a huge success for the club and the community. And, we’ll be holding the event at the much esteemed Delta Lake Inn! Interesting views, beautiful art, interesting people, and tasty food and drinks. What more could you want? All that for a $20 entry fee and $35 for couples.
People who want to come tell us what kind of art they want to see. Whether it be watercolors, oils, sculpture or sports memorabilia, Arin Ross will strive to bring it. This can also include big name artists like Picasso, Chagall, and Wyeth, among others! Art prices range from $49.00 -> many dollars!
We’ll also have some special items to bid on and some surprises too! This will not be a stuffy art event. We like to have fun and hope you’ll join us in our mission. We would like to raise enough monies to contribute something very special to the community as part of our centennial year service challenge.
14th Annual Legends of the Diamond: May 2018
Chair: Larry Giardino
If you like Yankees baseball, this is the event for you! Come and meet a prominent retired member of the Yankees and hear about his time with the Club, and maybe even get a picture or an autograph! There will be sports memorabilia you can purchase, a great dinner and a fun night out.
The Rome Lions Club partners with the Delta Lake Kiwanis group to make this a successful event year after year for both clubs. Stay tuned to see what they come up with for the next event!
Annual Community Projects
The Al Knapp Summer Picnic: August 2018
Chair: Lion Christina Gotti
Every summer our club hosts a picnic for the blind and hearing impaired in our area.
World Service Day: October 2018
Chair: Lion Dale Rashford
Lions Club International designates a day where all Lions all over the world perform some activity in their communities as part of a service challenge. This past World Service Day, The Rome Lions Club spent the day picking up trash along Black River Boulevard from Franklyn Field to Subway. You never know what we’ll think of for October this year!
Salvation Army Bell Ringing: December 2017
Chair: Lion Lou DiMarco
For the past several years, The Rome Lions Club has partnered with the Salvation Army to assist them in raising funds for their activities. We’ve even had the Leo Club (our junior members in the RFA) come out and join too! Drop by and drop some spare change and say hi!
Health Fair: 2018 Chair Lion Larry Riolo
Our club participates in the YMCA’s annual kid’s health fair. We do vision screenings to determine primarily if any of the kids may have amblyopia. You can read more about it here (https://www.aapos.org/terms/conditions/21). Essentially, it means that one or both eyes are not seeing well. Amblyopia can be treated, but the earlier the better for the best results. Often symptoms can be missed or mistaken in young children. But a vision screening can detect an issue early on. Without treatment further decreased vision or even blindness could develop. So early detection is very important! Make sure to stop by and see us with your child the next time the fair starts again!
The best part is that it’s free! And if we think we’ve found something to have an eye care professional review, you will receive a report to present to them to help you get on the right track sooner!
Lions Camp Badger: May 2018
Our club sponsors a cabin at this fabulous camp for special needs kids and young adults. This past May members painted, put in new windows, and generally spruced it up in time for the next bunch of happy campers to enjoy it.
The Rome Free Academy Leo Club: Sept - Jun
Mentors: Lions Larry Jeroszko and PDG Joe DeFina
Lions Clubs International encourages the involvement of youth in the community to pursue the ideals of Lionism through service to the community. This past year the Leo club held several fundraisers and ultimately donated their profits to the Tour de Cure. The Leo Club is entering its 5th year of Service at Rome Free Academy and they continue to grow year in and year out.
