SIGNATURE SERVICE PROJECTS
Apple City LEO Club: The Arendtsville Lions are sponsors of the Apple City LEO Club, which consists of students in grades 7 through 12 at Biglerville High School. LEO stands for Leadership, Experisnce, and Opportunity. Members of the club learn the importance and satisfaction of service through the club's activities. The club's on-going activities include holiday gift bags for area nursing home residents during the Christmas season, assisting with maintenance of Arendtsville's community park, preparing and serving dinner for Special Olymipcs athletes and their families at their annual Christmas party and raising funds for specific causes through an annual cupcake sale.
Vision Screening, Exams and Glasses: We perform vision screening for Pre-School and Kindergarten students each school year to help detect possible vision problems and get them remediated as soon as possible. For students whose families cannot afford a visit to the eye doctor, the club covers the cost of the exam and provides corrective lenses, if needed. The club also collects used eyeglasses, which are send to be cleaned, sorted, and recycled and then distributed to people who cannot afford a new pair of glasses.
Road Clean-Up: The Arendtsville Lions participate in Pa. Department of Transportation's road clean-up program. At least twice a year, our members pick up trash along Pa. Rt.34 East and North of the town.
Peace Poster Contest: Since 2005, the Arendtsville Lions Club has sponsored a Lions Club International Peace Poster Contest for 6th grade students at Upper Adams Intermediate School. Wiinning entries from our club's contest have gone on to be District 14-C winners and honorees in the Multipble District 14 contest.
Holiday Decorations: Our club brings a festive atmosphere to the town each Cristmas by hanging lighted wreaths on the light poles along each of the streets leading to the town square. Decorations are also displayed at the Borough Office Building and at the Arendtsville Firehall. Members of the Arendtsville Volunteer Fire Company assist the club with this project.
Holiday Fruit Baskets: We deliver fruit baskets to senior citizens who have lost their spouse and are living alone.
Non-Profit Volunteering: Many of our members donate hours of volunteer service to various community organizations in and around the Gettysburg area such as Red Cross Blood Donation Program; National Park Service; Gettysburg Hospital and Wellspan Health; ARC of Adams County; South Central Community Action Programs; The Gleaning Project of South Central PA; John's Meals: and Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay
Environmental Education Camp Meals: Each year, our club members prepare seveal meals for 5th grade students from Upper Adams Intermediate School during their 3-day Environmental Education Camp. The club also makes a monetary donation annually to help offest costs associated with the camp program.
FUNDRAISING PROJECTS
The Arendtsville Lions Club raises the majority of our funds at our South Mountain Fairgrounds restaurant. We offer a varied menu of items at various events during the year. The South Mountain Fair and The National Apple Harvest Festival are our largest events. Our standard menu includes a variety of hot sandwiches, chicken strips, walking tacos, soup, french fries, and our to-die-for Olde Tyme Thick Milkshakes.
At The National Apple harvest Festival, we get an early start and make breakfast, which features ham and eggs, chipped beef gravy, homefries, and toast. We don't open as early for the South Mountain Fair, but we stay later and offer all of our standard menu items. The South Mountain Fair is held for 5 days during the last full week in July. This is Adam County's agricultural showcase. There are livestock and produce displays and competitions in addition to arts and crafts, food and carnival rides. The National Apple Harvest Festival is held the first two full weekends in October. When the weather is nice, it can draw as many as 25,000 people to our small community in a single day. That is a lot of people for a town with a population of only 1,000 residents!
The club's latest fundraising adventure is taking our delicious Olde Tyme Milkshakes on the road. The club purchased and equipped a trailer, which allows us to travel to a variety public and private events, from April through October, and offer thick, creamy milkshakes - always vanilla and chocolate, and sometimes specialty flavors such as strawberry, salted caramel or pumpkin pie. If you would like to schedule us for your event, contact Lion Deb at 717-521-7891
Our fundraising efforts provide the Arendtsville Lions Club with approximately $15,000 in funds to provide services and make donations to help meet the needs of our community.
