Say what you will about Chestermere becoming a city, but our community has proven that no matter what its size, we remain an incredibly given group. We are full of residents that are always watching out for each other, helping one another and stepping up when the call goes out.
One of the groups within our community that spends their time always giving back and stepping up to help is the Chestermere Lions Club. These remarkable individuals are responsible for so many things in our city and often do so quietly behind the scenes. So, we wanted to take a look at what they were up to in 2015.
February 2015: District Convention. Chestermere Lions Club hosted the 2015 District 37-0 Lions convention at the Grey Eagle Resort in Calgary. It was a very well attended event and everyone had a great time. Chestermere Lions were very pleased to have hosted the Convention especially because the current District Governor was a Chestermere Lion – DG Lion Don Edy.
February 2015: Family Day Free Chili Event. In February on Family Day, children and parents were glad to get a day off from school/work and share some much needed family time. It is often a chilly day, so the club tries to warm families up by providing free chili/buns, hot chocolate and coffee. Chestermere’s youth did airbrush tattoos and face painting. The library provided free crafts. Everyone had a fun day.
April 2015: Chestermere Lions Donate Funds to new Chestermere Community Health Care Centre. The Chestermere Lions donated $15,000 to the new Chestermere Community Health Care Centre. The Centre used the funds for artwork which was placed throughout the facility. The artwork was contributed by children of the many Chestermere Elementary schools. Many of the young artists and Lions attended the grand opening the Health Care Centre.
June 2015: Flag Day. A tradition with the Chestermere Lions is to help bring awareness of Canada Day to the grade 1 students of Chestermere. This year, Club members attended 5 schools and handed out 399 flags to some really excited young people.
July 2015: Waterfest Beer Gardens. The Annual Chestermere Water Festival was held in July. The Chestermere Lions provide the Beer Gardens. This annual fundraiser was once again a success. It takes a lot of hard work to pull off this labour intensive day – but it is always well worth it. The Community of Chestermere supports the beer gardens. The day was warm and sunny so there were a lot of thirsty patrons.
September 2015: Free Pancake Breakfast at Chestermere Fall Fair. On the second Saturday in September the Fall Fair is held in Chestermere. People are excited to connect with their friends/neighbors and talk about their summer vacations. This year they served over 300 people at the free pancake breakfast. A parade is held, and children are excited to get free candy. Adults bring their vegetables that they have grown or their best recipe to be tasted and judged, all hoping that they will be the grand prize winner and get the coveted blue ribbon. Other vendors bring their wares for people to browse or buy. At the fair ground, children can go on rides, play games, and families can be seen taking a ride in a horse and buggy.
October 2015: Pumpkin Patch. This was the 9th year that they have held this event, and it is becoming a family tradition. On the third Saturday in October, Club members and other volunteers get up early, dress warm, and scatter pumpkins in a field. The barbecues are fired up, donated hot chocolate and coffee is delivered. Library employees/volunteers arrive to set up for storytelling, and the youth from Chestermere arrive to help out. Families come to pick out the best pumpkin they can find, take fall pictures, have hot dogs, hot chocolate, coffee and juice. People can be seen connecting with their neighbors, and children are playing with their friends, listening to a Halloween story and playing with their siblings or family pet. At the end of the day over 200 pumpkins had new homes, stomachs were filled, and new friends were made.
October 2015: June Knuttila – Life Membership Award. The Chestermere Lions Club was very pleased to present Lion June Knuttila with a Lions Club International Life Membership Award. June transferred to the Chestermere Lions Club and became a Charter member (April 1, 2003). She is always helpful and provides invaluable service to the Club and the community of Chestermere.
November 2015: Casino Fundraiser. The Chestermere Lions’ next activity was the 2-day casino fundraiser on November 23 and 24. They hope the fundraiser will be a success so that they can donate funds back into the community again next year and also provide another free chili day and pancake breakfast in 2016.
Chestermere Energizer Nights. The Chestermere Energizer nights held at the local recreation centre were a great opportunity for our Club to showcase our activities in the community. The events held in September and January were attended by large numbers of people of all ages which gave the Lions Club excellent exposure. People were able to stop by our booth and chat about Club activities, both with a view to joining the group or supporting local events.
Phew….what a busy year for the Lions. For the valued members of the Lions, they thrive on serving the community and always enjoy what the Lions Club brings to their personal lives.
Long-time Lions member, Gail Smith, said, “The benefits have been numerous! At the top of the list is friendship! This Lions’ Club has many wonderful people who have become very good friends who set a great example for the community and are not afraid to get involved. They give of their time and talents, in a generous way and the rewards come from giving. Leadership is another reward. There are many ways to get involved and use leadership skills in the wide variety of projects that the Lions’ take on. You can give as much time as you can and make it work for your own schedule. One of my favorite benefits in socializing. It is a big part of getting involved and often very festive. Many laughs, some tears and much sharing are a part of being a Lion”.
When asked what it means to be a Lion, Smith explained, “Being a Lion means giving back to your community. The Lions’ are there to help in many facets of the community, whenever and wherever possible. The numerous fundraising events held by the Lions’ Club result in donations to playgrounds, hockey, baseball, the library, vision, guide dogs, the Food Bank and numerous other worthy causes and charities in and around Chestermere”.
Marilyn King described her experience as a Lion saying, “”I joined Chestermere Lions club, so I could join Steve, my husband, in some of the activities that he already enjoyed through the group. What I’ve gained has been so much more. A really great group of people who care a lot about this community and want to make things just a little better for many people”.
The Chestermere Lions Club is a very important force in our community, which just by the list above shows what they bring to our city. If you are interested in learning more about Lions or would like to join our Club, please send an email to chestermerelc@gmail.com.
