Waunakee-Westport Lions Club
You’ve seen the familiar yellow and white tent shelters at Waunafest, Octoberfest, Waunakee Garage Sale Days, July Patriotic Band Concert, Relay for Life and you know that the beef, pork and chicken sandwiches are mouth-watering good. But, what do you know about Lions and the men and women who make up the membership?
Lions International, with a million and half members in 200 countries, is the world’s largest service organization with a primary mission of service to the blind and visually impaired. The most aggressive sight preservation project, SIGHT FIRST, was begun in 1990 and since that time has provided over 145 million dollars in support of worldwide health services to prevent and treat blindness! Lions have been collecting and recycling used eyeglasses for over 80 years! Since 1996, 31 million pairs of eyeglasses have been recycled! In addition, Lions International, along with Lions International Foundation provides programs for youth, diabetes awareness, disaster relief, hearing and vision.
Waunakee-Westport Lions Club was organized on September 20,1980 with 31 charter members. The new club was sponsored by the Cottage Grove Lions Club with Past District Governor Don Johnson serving as "Guiding Lion" to help the club organize and begin service to the community of Waunakee and Lions International. As one of about 475 Lions Clubs in Wisconsin, the club has developed many programs that benefit the community.
Photo Vision Screening: The club owns two special vision screening cameras that are used to screen the vision of young children. Children in local day care centers as well as children in the Waunakee School District’s early childhood screening programs are provided the service free of charge. The special cameras take two separate pictures of the child’s eyes; the photos are examined by Lions Club members trained and certified to interpret the results. Children failing the exam are referred to their eye care professional for follow-up examination. Each year about 200 to 300 children under the age of 5 take advantage of the opportunity to take part in the screening.
Eye Tissue Transport: Members of the club transport donated eye tissue from the Wisconsin Lions Eye Bank, located in Madison, to cities in southern Wisconsin where it is further transferred to hospital centers for use in the restoration of sight. The club is assigned the duty two months of the year and the precious cargo must be picked up and delivered any time of the day or night.
Other club projects include: Community Awards Dinner, where deserving Waunakee citizens from a variety of activities and specialties are honored for their service to the community.; Community Health Fair, where residents have access to information and screenings related to general health; highway 113-19 clean-up and eyeglass collection. Numerous groups are the recipients of financial support from the Lions Club. Among them are school Safety Patrol, Waunakee Community Band, American Diabetes Association, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and Waunakee School District Scholarship Fund.
The crown jewel of Wisconsin Lionism is the Wisconsin Lions Camp at Rosholt, near Stevens Point. This beautiful camp, with new health lodge, new dining facilities and its own Lion Lake, provides a full camping experience for youth with disabilities: visually impaired, diabetic, mildly cognitively impaired, deaf and hearing impaired and those with epilepsy. The camp is free to the campers! Each year, Waunakee sends about 5 young people to the camp and the Lion District that includes Waunakee sponsors about 190 to 200 campers each year. (This is a wonderful opportunity for children who otherwise might not have a camping experience.) The camp is staffed by qualified and specially trained volunteer physicians, nurses and counselors in addition to the regular camp staff.
Waunakee – Westport Lions Club meets on the third Wednesday of each month at Rex’s Innkeeper. (The meeting will feature the usual fine dinner, a program or speaker and business meeting.) Membership information can be obtained from any Lion member. The club welcomes new members.
