07/03/2023
Vienna Host Lions Club.
It was such a pleasure to see faces and hear voices that have woven our friendships through the years. The VHLC has always encouraged fellowship, a sense of community, and service.
We have been a club invested in the community of Vienna, carrying out proudly the Lion motto “We Serve”.
Whether that service was:
• selling Holiday Trees at our lot each winter season, a tradition started in 1968 and carried on through 2021;
• running the Miss Vienna Beauty Pageant, from 1959, until 1970 as a fundraiser;
• serving beer and brats at OctoberFest (held in September once-Shhh! don’t tell) and the Vienna 4th of July celebration or Popcorn at Viva Vienna
• Handing our citizenship prizes to students at Vienna Elementary schools,
• Sponsoring our float in the Apple Blossom Festival
• Participating in the Cowpokes and Purty Gals to support the school Safety Patrol Jamboree in 1961
• Contributing to the building of the community center to the tune of $15K
• Funding the construction of the Press Box at James Madison High School
• Collecting Hundreds of glasses each year for the recycling center;
• Snagging a very important member who came to give VHLC an award in 1987 for our contributions to the Babe Ruth Baseball League and joined us the following year, continuing to become known otherwise as Mr. Santa Claus of the tree lot --Bet you can’t guess who that is!
• Providing Relief for flood and natural disaster victims across the US and the world;
• Going on the 44 mystery trips that began in 1967- the best way that I can explain it is that if you know the song from Johnny Cash “I’ve been everywhere, man,” you could apply it to the Vienna Host Lions Trips. They were cast in deepest mystery and security that lent well to sites in PA, W VA, MD, VA, and DC. From the Eisenhower Farm to the site of Flight 93, to St. Michael and Rock Hall, Md., to the Necked Mountain Winery, to Ireland, Berlin, and Vienna in one afternoon.
• Supporting 40 years of the Bland Music Contest which lead to fostering a Fulbright scholar in England ;
VHLC can be very proud of the energy and time and creative power that has gone into our fundraising efforts on all fronts. The impact we have made in terms of helping individuals, groups, research, and community improvement cannot be calculated. Here is what a few of the group had to say about our most recent dispersal of funds
Virginia Lions Eye Institute Foundation: “I want you and all the members of your club to know you have been extremely kind and generous to the VLEIF. Not only with donations but also actively supporting our Scholarship program - for that, we give you a special thanks.”
Old Dominion Eye Foundation:
“The Virginia Host Lions Club’s generosity helped us to provide transplants for more than 700 individuals in 2021. Your current donation will assist the many that still await the gift of renewed vision. The best way to describe this is through the words of our recipients: There is no more selfless act than giving the gift of sight. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for giving me the opportunity for a corrected vision. It has truly changed my life” Because of your contribution, the future looks bright for ODEF.”
Foundation for Fighting Blindness:
“Your commitment accelerates life-changing research to find treatments and cures for diseases like Macular Degeneration, Retinitis Pigmentosa, Usher Syndrome, Stargardt Disease, and Leber congenital amaurosis. With your donation, the Foundation will be able to fund more research grants for projects conducted in the US and worldwide.”
Second Story: “Your support directly impacts the lives of local youth in crisis. Because of your donations, we can provide stability and support for young people. We have been supporting young people for more than 50 years. We step in at critical moments in a young person’s life. Together with your help, we create a community where all youth are safe, have access to support, and are able to grow and thrive. Thank you for making our work possible.”
This is not the end of our friendships, our community, or our work. Many of you are called to work with other clubs to continue this loving, caring involvement and do this essential work in an expanded area. This is not the end but the beginning of new relationships and new ways of serving our community and each other. You should grasp it and run with it!
Thank you for your support and care during this challenging transition year.
