Club Activities:
FUND RAISING PROJECTS
Flags on Anacortes Streets:
Local businesses show their true colors by paying for the Flags that Lions display on eight holidays during the year! Flag Donations fund Lions activities for the community. The Lions Club places nearly 300 flags around town on eight holidays a year. When a business or organization pays a $40 donation to have a flag displayed in front of its building, the club drills a hole in the curb and brings the flag and a flag pole out each holiday. The flag program is our most important fund raiser and is a source of great community pride.
~ See our Flag Page for more info on how to get Flags for your business ~
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COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECTS:
All money raised by our fundraiser is used to provide services for our community to those most in need.
Administrative costs are covered by member dues.
A few of the services provided include:
Vision and Hearing Screenings for school children:
Each year, the club coordinates with school district nurses to screen for both hearing and vision in the Anacortes School District for students in kindergarten, first, second, third, fifth and seventh grades — about 1,200 children annually -- to catch eye and ear anomolies as soon as possible so they can be corrected.
Also, we coordinate the Kindergarten Round-up for hearing and sight tests for pre-kindergarten children as well as screening pre-school students on an appointment based model once a month at Whitney School in Anacortes.
We have also screened students at La Conner school district this past fall after learning of their need from the district nurse there. We provide trained Lion volunteers with specialized camera-like equipment that can be used to check children's eyes and the local school's hearing test equipment to check hearing levels, working alongside school and conmmunity volunteers on an annual basis.
Two Annual Scholarships to Graduating Anacortes Seniors
Eye Glasses and Hearing Aids and Exams:
The Lions Club pays for Eye and Hearing Exams, Glasses and Hearing Aids for those who can’t afford them. They also collect used glasses to be distributed by Lions Club International to people in countries around the world. Eyeglass Recycling boxes can be found at the Post Office, Anacortes Senior Center, Island Optometry, Isklnad Eye in Island Hospital, Soroptomist and Kiwanis shops. Other places are United Methodist Church, Anacortes Baptist Church
​Sponsoring of Community Activities:
Annual community activities sponsored by the Lions include the Easter Egg Hunt at Causland Park, an Easter Egg Hunt for Special Needs Children and Beeping Easter Egg Hunt for Blind and Visually Impaired and the annual Walk With Santa Holiday Parade to start the winter holiday season with good cheer.
The Lions Club also sponsor the Low Vision Support Group that meets once a month at the Anacortes Senior Center for informational talk, with special meetings for games like Braille Bingo and Giant Jenga.
We participated in summer activities like the Fourth of July Parade and Ready to Learn Fair to hand out books and provide visoin and hearing services to students starting a new school year in our school district.
This year of 2024, we are forming a Diabetes Support Group for all types of diabetes, to be meeting once a month at Skagit Valley Hospital on the 4th Tuesday of the month at 7-8 PM in the Shale Room ( Eagle entrance on west side, directly in front of entrance doors). We will discuss what support needs to be offerred and share information, in partnership with Island Hospital Diabetes Education teacher
Additional Donations support the services of Anacortes Police Department, Anacortes Fire Department, Island Hospital, Anacortes Public Library, Washington State Vocational Summer Camp & Camp Horizon for differently abled campers, and other community groups and activities as needed.
White Cane Awareness Days:
The group participates in White Cane Awareness Day in October each year -
Whether a blind person uses a white cane or a guide dog to improve their access to and independence in the world, White Cane Day is a celebration of the abilities and achievements of the blind and a commitment to inclusion, accessibility, and safety, locally and internationally.
Any donation money from the event goes to Northwest Lions Foundation, which helps fund cornea and eye surgeries and other local services.
May 25, 2019 White Cane Days at Safeway:
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