Lions Help Others By Donating To A Number Of Good Causes
Lions Help Others By Donating To A Number Of Good Causes
The Lions Club of Newtown, which is preparing for its 2009 Great Pootatuck Duck Race, one of the clubâs largest annual fundraisers â continues to share the wealth it generates through other fundraisers and philanthropic activities throughout the year. Four local groups recently benefited from the generosity of the club.
Cullens Youth Association was one recent recipient. Representing Cullen Memorial, Eugene Cox received a check from Lion Paul Kruger.
Cullen Memorial is on Taunton Lake Road on Monnahardtâs Pond and offers camping facilities to organized youth groups in Newtown. The property is used by many Scout troops and church youth groups, many of whom make donations that fund the foundationâs day-to-day operations. Other donations from groups like the Newtown Lions Club are used for major expenses such as the electrical system now being installed.
The Lions Club also supported the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Connecticut with a donation.
Club member Ed Miklaszewski presented a check to Kim Smith, the director of external events for Make-A-Wish Foundation, which provides children who have life-threatening medical conditions hope for better times, the strength for the tough times, and the joy to experience the present. The organization has granted more than 1,700 wishes since it was started 1986.
The Newtown Board of Fire Commissioners, which oversees the five volunteer fire departments that serve Newtown, received a donation which the board plans to use to train the 200 volunteers who staff the fire departments. Board Chairman Kevin Cragin received that donation from Tom Evagash, the current Lions Club president.
Newtown Lions Club also presented a donation to Kevinâs Community Center, the a nonprofit medical clinic that provides free care to residents over the age of 16 who are uninsured or under-insured and who have limited financial resources.
In Newtown there are approximately 800 families (3,800 adults) who have no health care coverage at all. Lions Club member George Arfaras presented a check to KCC volunteer Don Seymour to help cover some of the expenses the community center covers.