Our Community Projects
The Blackall Range Lions are involved in a number of local community projects annually. These include
- helping local citizens in need of assistance
- providing catering support to community activities
- conducting fundraising events to help finance community service activities
- organising social activities for Lions members
- conducting the annual Welcome to the Hinterland Dinner
Our Welcome to the Hinterland Dinner:
Our annual "Welcome to the Hinterland Dinner" is held on the 4th Thursday in October at Flaxton Gardens where we invite the new residents to the Blackall Range Communities to come along and meet representatives from some of our local businesses and community organisations while enjoying great food and company.
Lions Christmas Cakes and Puddings:
A major annual Lions’ fundraiser is the sale of our famous Lions Cakes and Puddings – these are sold by several businesses in the community each year. Thank you to the Montville IGA, Mapleton IGA and the Linder Family Pharmacy. and other businesses who participate.
Iced Lions Christmas Cakes:
We ‘value add’ to some large Lions Christmas cakes by cutting them into quarters, covering them with fondant, and decorating them with bling to be sold by supporting businesses in the community. A big thank you to The Barn on Flaxton, the Mapleton Post Office, the Montville Post Office and Chic & Sassy of Montville.
A Taste of the Hinterland:
Each year, the Club arranges for local producers to provide free samples of their food and beverages and to sell their produce to the guests. Finger food is provided, and drinks are available to purchase. A big thank you to our regular producers and especially to The Barn on Flaxton..
Support for the RSL Mapleton Subbranch: 
ANZAC Day Service:
Members are encouraged to wear their Lions’ shirts and attend either the Montville Dawn Service or the Mapleton Service, A wreath is laid at each service and a Book Voucher to the value of $75 is donation to a primary school in our communities. This donation alternates between Mapleton SS and Montville SS.
Morning Teas at RSL Events:
Our club provides a morning tea at each of the three services held at the Mapleton RSL Memorial Park – Anzac Day, Vietnam Veteran’s Day, and Remembrance Day services.
Lions Read Bear Project:
The Club’s Knitting Group has teamed with the Hervey Bay Neighbour Centre to produce Read Bears. Read Bears are presented to the Grade One class at Mapleton and Montville each year. The Club has agreed to promote this project to other Lions clubs and schools. This project was chosen as the MD201 Kindness Matters project to go to LCI in Chicago to be judged in January.
Mapleton State School:
Our Club sponsors the Mapleton State School’s “Blackall Range Community Award” on Graduation. We also provide support by participating in working bees and undertaking specific projects from time to time and we also support the school's Chaplin from time to time.
Our Club provides the Mapleton Tuckshop Coordinator with funds to allow the provision of fruit to children without sufficient food at school.
Nambour Community Center:
The Club provides support to the Nambour Community Centre by collecting food, toiletries and other clothing items for them.
Morning Teas at RSL Events:
Our club provides a morning tea at each of the three services held at the Mapleton RSL Memorial Park – Anzac Day, Vietnam Veteran’s Day, and Remembrance Day services.
Assisting Those in Need in Our Community:
Our club members can be seen assisting members of our community with garden maintenance, household assistance, or providing transport for appointments or shopping.
Montville State School:
Our club provides support to the Montville State School and its students. The Club funds a annual “Most Improved Academically” student award for each year level - Prep to Grade 6. Our members can be seen at the school's working bees and have refurbished their historic Bell Tower.
We also support the Montville Youth Welfare Worker from time to time.
Range Community Kindergarten:
We support the Range Community Kindergarten in Mapleton in several ways. Not only can members be seen assisting at their working bees, we hung their aboriginal mural, replaced their ramp, assisted in erecting their new playground equipment and run a fund raising evening to allow them to purchase refrigerators for the children’s lunches.
Mapleton Community Library Assistance:
Our lions can be seen helping out at various Working Be’s at the Mapleton Community Library. We also assist them with the running of their regular Book Fairs.
Our Lions support the following Lions' Projects and Foundations:-
Lions' Camp Cockatoo:
Our club financially supports Lions Camp Cockatoo which provides children between 15 & 17 with Type 1 Diabetes, the opportunity to attend camp with suitable activities and educating them to manage Diabetes independently and enhance an active lifestyle with Diabetes Educators.
Lions' Camp Duckadang:
Club members participate in the regular working bee's at Camp Duckadang, the Lions' rural retreat nestled in the Brisbane River Valley. These facilities may be hired by schools and other community organisations.
Lions International Youth Exchange & Camp Krokodile:
The Lions International Youth Exchange Program was established in 1961 to give youth an opportunity to travel to exciting international destinations for up to 6 weeks. Whilst overseas, the youth live with one or more families associated with Lions International to experience first-hand a new culture, lifestyle and customs. The aim of the program is “to create and foster a spirit of understanding among the peoples of the world”.
Students also spend a week at one of Australian Lions' youth camps. Our members host international students, and we work with Kamp Krokodile to facilitate an annual weekend event involving youth treks, barbeque, and picnics.
Lions Recycle For Sight Australia (Collection of Eyeglasses for reuse in 3rd world countries}:
Lions Recycle for Sight Australia is part of the Lions Clubs International Worldwide Eyeglass Recycling Program, headquartered in Queensland and operating throughout Australia and overseas.
Over the 26 years that the Australian program has operated, the program, has delivered over 7 million pair of refurbished quality spectacles to men, women and children in need in Africa, Europe, Middle East, Indian Sub- continent, East Asia, and the Far East, China, the countries of the Pacific Rim and Southern Asia and Oceania.
So, if you have glasses, hearing aids or contact lenses (hard ones) to donate, please take them along to a doctor’s surgery, the Mapleton Community Library or the Linder Family Pharmacy.
Australian Lions Children's Mobility Foundation:
The Australian Lions Children’s Mobility Foundation empowers children who cannot walk unassisted to reach their potential. We do this by facilitating the funding of mobility aids that get kids out of their wheelchairs and onto their feet so that they can walk, explore, play, work and socialise.
Our club financiall supports this foundation and we also collect aluiminium ring-pulls which are sold to provide funds to purchase more mobility devices.
Australian Lions Hearing Dogs (and Medical Allert Dogs):
Australian Lions Hearing Dogs empower and advocate for people in need through the provision of professionally trained Assistance Dogs (hearing, medical alert and PTSD) free of charge. We have been training hearing dogs for over 40 years and we are now training medical allert dogs as well - the assitance that the medical allert dogs give to people with diabeties is truely amazing.
Our Club financially supports this foundation and hope that one day a hearing dog or medical alllert dog may be placed in our communities.
Lions Eye Health Program:
The Lions Eye Health Program has partnered with the Centre for Eye Health to create a comprehensive Children’s Vision Screening Program and education initiatives on avoidable vision loss in Australian adults.
Our local schools have invited us in to conduct sigh screening 0f their students and our members have assisted other clubs conduct sight screening at their local schools.
Lions Junior Public Speaking Program:
The Lions Junior Public Speaking Program gives primary school aged children in years 3 to 6 a chance to develop their ability to speak in public. Our club is planning running this program in our locas schools.
Lions Youth of the Year:
The Lions Youth of the Year is aimed at high school students who seek to improve their skills before entering the workforce or other endeavours. The program is designed to encourage student interest in leadership and the qualities required to take an active and constructive role in the community. A high level of academic, leadership, sporting, public speaking and citizenship achievement is sought in its potential winners.
While we are unable to participate by sponsoring student in this program, we have hosted the Zone level competition.
Australian Lions Childhood Cancer Research Foundation:
Australian Lions Childhood Cancer Research Foundation was officially established in 2009 with the prime focus being to increase survival rates of childhood cancer by supporting cancer research efforts not just here in Australia, but around the world.
Each year we participate in the Lions Biggest BBQ, a fundraising event undertaken by many of the 1,300 Clubs across Australia. Money raised for the Australian Lions Childhood Cancer Research Foundation goes to assist Australian research into cures and treatments for childhood cancers. Some outstanding results have already been achieved and we trust more will be made with the funds this event raises each year.
Our Morning Teas - raising money for worthy causes:
Our members, with the generous support of le Relais Bressan, a local restaurant, put on morning teas that are interactive and lot of fun to raise funds for specific causes. To date, funds have been raised for:
> Australian Lions Childhood Cancer Research Foundation,
> Pillow Cases for Oncology Kids,
> Bloomhill Cancer Care,
> Australian Lions Diabetes Foundation
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Please Take a Look at Some of Our Past Projects:
Cyber Safety Night.
Montville SS Bell Tower Restoration
Hanging of the Mapleton Kindergarten Artwork
A Fun Morning Tea
Make A Difference & MaD Money
Iced Christmas Cakes 2019
