1955: Ashley Clinic
In 1955, less than 2 years after organizing, the Ashley Lions Club begun their first big project. They formed a trust called the Ashley Clinic trust. They purchased the 1 block of land that the clinic now sits for $1000. Over the next year the Lions Club raised $8720 through the sales of participation certificates and borrowed an additional $6000 to finish the construction of the clinic. D.O. William Berndt was the first doctor to serve out of the clinic. He also had a wife Phyllis who was a registered nurse who assisted him. In 1959 the doctor purchased the land and clinic from the trust.
1960: Football Field lights
In 1960 the Ashley Lions Club paid $5000 for the installation of the lights at the Ashley football field. This allowed for the first night game to be played on 9/16/1960. This was also the beginning of the agreement that the Ashley Lions Club would be able to sell popcorn at all the home games.
Other Notable Services over the Years
Some of the more notable services provided by the Ashley Lions Club are:
·Project Kids Sight giving free eye screenings to kids
·Purchased a wheel chair ramp that we can move and have placed it at 4 different locations so far
·Cash Donation to any local family who loses their home to a fire
·Delivery of around 90 fruit baskets at Christmas to elderly or shut-ins in the Ashley Area
·$750 Scholarship to a graduate (although more scholarships have been awarded the last few years)
·Glasses or eye exams to area people in need
·Eye Glass collection (for re-use in 3rd world countries)
·Cash donations to Leader dogs of MI, MI eye bank, American Red Cross, Gratiot Co. Commission on Aging, PTO, Student Leadership class, UMC for their annual Thanksgiving dinner, Pheasants Forever, Ashley Trading Days…and many more.
These are made possible by our money making projects of
·61 Annual Chicken BBQs
·Popcorn wagon
·Bingo at the Trading Days
·Texas Hold’em Tournaments
·Chocolate Easter Bunny sales
·Mint sales
