The Black Mountain Lions Club
“We Serve!” Our Club’s Service Projects:
Aid to the Visually Impaired: The Lions Clubs have always had a special mission to serve visually impaired people (our “VIPs”). Our club helps several visually impaired people in our community each year to obtain eye exams and eyeglasses. We also provide a scholarship for a VIP to attend Camp Dogwood each year. We donate to the NC Lions “Brighter Visions” project which assists VIPs throughout North Carolina with white canes and other needs. We have sponsored a free mobile vision screening clinic, and will be doing so again during the Sourwood Festival on Saturday, August 13, 2016.
Aid to Young People: We sponsor the LEO Club at Charles D Owen High School, and collaborate with them on projects. We give a scholarship to a graduating LEO Club member annually, and to a graduating OHS senior every four years. We give away glow necklaces to trick-or-treaters every Halloween to help protect their safety as they make their way around our community after dark.
Aid to Families in Need: We participate each holiday season in the Swannanoa Valley Christian Ministry’s “Adopt-a-Family” program, donating food, toys, and other needed things to our adopted family. We also sponsor an annual food drive to collect donations of foodstuffs for a local food pantry.
Aid to the McCune Center: Because it is a project of the Lions Clubs of Western North Carolina, and especially because it is our club meeting place, the Marjorie McCune Memorial Center hold a special place in our hearts. We collaborate with both the McCune Center and our sister McCune Lions Club on a number of projects each year. Each November, we assist the residents in selecting and completing recycled Christmas cards to send, and help the VIPs to write their greetings. We help the McCune center with the purchase of holiday gifts for the residents. In June, 2016 we made a donation in memory of deceased Club President Bill Rucker to the McCune Center of $1,000 to finance the renovation of one of the resident’s rooms. In April, 2017, we plan to install a Native Plant and Wildlife Garden on the grounds as one of our Lions Centennial service projects.
Our Fundraising Projects (because these service projects cost money!)
Sourwood Festival Booth: This event takes place in August at the Sourwood Festival In Black Mountain. We set up a booth in the same location each year where we sell sno-cones, popcorn, water, and our famous Lions brooms and mops. Please stop by!
Flower Power: This is a new fundraiser that we will be starting in August, 2016. Bulbs and other plant materials to plant on your property will be available for purchase online in both the fall and the spring. Both the Black Mountain Lions Club and Lions Clubs International will receive a portion of the sales proceeds. Please help us out by purchasing your plant materials at this website:
Brighter Visions Fundraisers: Every Fall and Spring our club sets up a table in front of the Black Mountain Post Office, Ingles, and maybe other locations to raise funds for the North Carolina Lions Inc. Brighter Visions Campaign. The tables are set up on Fridays and Saturdays where we accept bucket donations, sell VIP made brooms and mops and give out soft mints to those that want them. Lions literature is available at the tables.
Run With The Lions 5k: This fundraiser is held on a Saturday early in November. We set up a 5k road course in downtown Black Mountain and participants of all ages can participate by either running or walking in the event. Prizes and medals are awarded. For more information, please see our website.
The Swannanoa Valley Community Calendar: The calendar is a joint project between the Black Mountain Lions Club and the Swannanoa Valley Lions Club. The proceeds of the sale of the ads on the calendar, and the sale of the calendars themselves pay for scholarships for some Charles D. Owen High School students. Calendars are usually available in December for the coming year - please contact us if you would like one!
Dip -A- Duck Fundraiser: This is our big spring fundraiser. We solicit donations from local businesses. All of the items that are donated are used as prizes. We sell duck tickets that give the purchaser a numbered plastic duck for dipping. Once sold each ticket is recorded in a log next to a number that is on a duck. One all the numbered ducks are verified they are all placed large bags where they are mixed just before the dipping. The bags are then emptied into the Black Mountain Swimming Pool. We then start calling out prizes one by one. After each announcement a duck is then dipped from the pool the number is read and the name next to that number on the log is announced and they get the prize that been called.
Just for our own club members - White Elephant Sale: Our White Elephant Sale takes place during the early spring. Once a year our members and guests bring wrapped items and place them on a table. We have a auctioneer auction off those items to the highest bidder. The proceeds of the are used for the administration of the club. Disclaimer: No white elephants have ever been involved in our event!
