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Brookfield Lions November dinner meeting - Thursday, November 14, 2024

• Our next Brookfield Lions Club dinner meeting will be held on Thursday, November 14th at the Italia Mia Restaurant, 223 Danbury Rd. New Milford, CT.
• This will be our only meeting in November because of the Thanksgiving Day holiday.
• Networking starts at 6:30 pm, meeting at 7:00 pm sharp with dinner to follow. Come join your friends!

CLICK HERE to sign up for the Nov 14th dinner meeting

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Annual Fall Charity Breakfast - Friday, November 22, 2024

• The Brookfield Lions Club will hold its annual Charity Fall Breakfast at Michael’s Tap Room, located at 37 Stony Hill Road in Bethel, CT, on Friday, November 22nd at 7:30 AM.
• Our speaker this year is Shaun Hefferman, Director of Camp Rising Sun. Camp Rising Sun in Colebrook, CT welcomes children, who have a diagnosis of cancer, to a nurturing and safe, fun environment.
• Once again, we are looking for sponsors for our Breakfast Brochure ads. Please contact the following Lions if you can help:
  • ​Candy Smith: Anniekatesmom@gmail.com
  • Jim Ondak: james.ondak@gmail.com
  • Dori Cundari: doricslp@charter.net

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Brookfield Lions Holiday Party - Thursday, December 12, 2024

• Planning is underway for our Brookfield Lions Holiday Party on Thursday, December 12th.
• As soon as the venue and the meal selections are finalized we will notify the members as soon as possible!
• Watch this space!

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​Look below to see what we've been doing in 2024!!

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Brookfield High School LEOs Take2 Electronic Recycling Event - Saturday, November 9, 2024

• The Brookfield High School LEOs Club helped put on a terrific Electronics Recycling event on Saturday, November 9th, from 9 am until 12 noon at Brookfield Town Hall, 100 Pocono Rd. Brookfield CT.
• Lion Dori Cundari, LEO advisor, said that 125 cars came through to recycle electronics of all sizes and shapes, as well as donate to the LEOs. 
• The most important thing was they FILLED THAT TRUC​K!
• Thanks to all the LEOs and Lions who gave their time and muscle to the event!
• Many thanks to the Brookfield community for their wonderful support!
• Lion Dori was very happy with the event and said she planned to do it again next year.

 

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Brookfield Lions KidSight 2024-2025 program is underway

• The Brookfield Lions Club KidSight vision screening program for the 2024-2025 school year kicked off during the week of October 14-18.
• The Brookfield KidSight team has already screened 2,230 students and referred 623 students for complete eye care examinations.
• If you have any questions about the program or want to sign up to do screening, please contact:
  • Robin Montgomery (robinmontgomeryl24@gmail.com)
  • JoEllen Reynolds (j4reynolds@gmail.com)
  • Jim Ondak (james.ondak@gmail.com)

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KidSight Eye Screening - 2023-2024 School Year

• During the 2023-2024 school year the Brookfield Lions KidSight program screened 9,967 students and referred 2,560 students for full eye examinations with eye care professionals.
• See our detailed screening results on our Club Project page in the KIDSIGHT EYE SCREENING section.
• Many, many thanks to all of our Brookfield KidSight team members!
• See our BROOKFIELD LIONS EVENTS CALENDAR page for more information about when and where we are screening.
• If you would like to learn more about the program and look into training and joining the Brookfield KidSight team, please contact one of the following:
• Robin Montgomery:  robinmontgomeryl24@gmail.com
• JoEllen Reynolds:  j4reynolds@gmail.com
• Jim Ondak:  james.ondak@gmail.com

Our new KidSight Vision Screener camera getting a workout​

Klaus Nielsen with our new KidSight Camera along with Lee Helmerich, School Readiness Cooridnator for Bridgeport and Monique Helms, Director Precious Memories #3 Early Learning Center

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Trunk or Treat - Saturday, October 26, 2024

• This very popular event was held on Saturday, October 26 at the Brookfield Volunteer Fire Company's location at 92 Pocono Rd. Brookfield, CT.
• The Brookfield Lions and the Brookfield High School LEOs partnered to make this another very successful outing.
• Dori Cundari and Megan Henderson led a team of nine LEOs who worked together with a number of Lions handing out an amazing amount of treats to all the trick-or-treaters!

 

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​8 Hours on the Farm - Sunday, November 3, 2024

• Hoping to have more information about this event soon.

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Brookfield Lions member business meeting - Thursday, October 24, 2024

• Our latest members business meeting was held at the Brookfield Town Hall on Thursday, October 24th from 6:30-8:30 pm.
• Our guest speaker, Jim Whiteside from the Brookfield EMTs, gave a wonderful presentation about the state of the ton of Brookfield with regard to EMT services.

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Parks & Recreation Halloween 5K and Kids Fun Run - Sunday, October 20, 2024

• The Halloween 5K Road Race is a spooktacular run through the charming streets of Brookfield!
• It's thrilling event for runners of all ages and abilities. Everyone dresses up in their favorite costume and joins in for a fun-filled day of fitness and festivities.
• Lion volunteers helped direct parking at the event which began and ended at Brookfield Town Hall on Pocono Rd. Brookfield, CT.

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Best of Brookfield event - Wednesday, October 16, 2024

• The Brookfield Lions were at the Best of Brookfield event on Wednesday, October 16th from 4:30-7:30 pm at the Candlewood Inn in Brookfield, CT.
• Lion Sue Slater had a table at the event to let attendees know about the Brookfield Lions and all the services we provide to Brookfield and surrounding communities.
• Our members also directed parking at the event.

• The Brooks Quarry Fall Picnic was not held this due to a lack of interest at the community. This may be due to a recent uptick of the Covid virus.
• Many thanks to Lion David Moissonnier for leading the event again for our club and for all the Lions that volunteered and were helping with preparations in anticipation of the event.
• This is always been a very popular event that has been well appreciated by the Brooks Quarry community. It's another excellent example of our service to the Brookfield community.
• Lion David plans to continue to work with the Brooks Quarry community in future years. Thank you David!

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Brookfield Lions Blood Drive - Wednesday, October 2, 2024

• The Brookfield Lions held their October Blood Drive on Wednesday, October 2, 2024 at St. Paul's Church, 174 Whisconier Road, Brookfield, CT from 1:30 pm until 6:30 pm.
• Lion Jackie Kettunen, our Blood Drive leader, reports that the October drive already had 54 donors signed up. Thirteen Brookfield Lions participated in the event.
• Jackie also mentioned that the August Blood Drive collected 52 pints of blood which was 7 pints over the drive's goal. Under Jackie's leadership, this group continues to excel.
• Jackie can always use volunteers to help run the drives and also provide sandwiches, cookies, and brownies for the donors!
• If you are interested in learning more about the blood drives and donating or volunteering, please contact Jackie at jkettunen604@gmail.com.

CLICK HERE to see the October 2024 Blood Drive poster

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Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF) Walk - Saturday, September 28, 2024

• The Breakthrough T1D Walk to help cure, treat and prevent Type 1 diabetes was held on Saturday, September 28th from 9:30 am to 1:00 pm at Savin Rock Park, 435 Captain Thomas Blvd, West Haven, CT.
• Breakthrough T1D is the new name for JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes research Foundation).
• Many thanks to Brookfield Lions Candy and Al Smith for leading and coordinating our club's and Connecticut Lions District 23A's participation in diabetes events.

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Veterans Stand Down - Friday, September 20, 2024

• Lion Robin Montgomery once again led our participation in the Veterans Stand Down event which was being held on Friday, September 20th at the Danbury War Memorial, 1 Memorial Drive, Danbury.
• Robin collected hats, gloves, pens, toiletries, and donations for ShopRite gift cards which the veterans really appreciated.
• We were able to use items from the Amazon pickups to help provide supplies for the veterans. 
• Many thanks to Cathy Nielsen for knitting 35 ski hats for the veterans! Lion Robin mentioned that the hats were a huge hit with the vets!
• If you have any questions about donations or the event, please email Robin: robinmontgomeryl24@gmail.com 
• Thank you for helping our veterans!

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Brookfield Lions Club 41st Annual Charity Golf Tournament - Monday, August 26, 2024

• The Brookfield Lions Club held their 41st Annual Charity Golf Tournament on Monday, August 26, 2024 at the The Golf Club at Oxford Greens in Oxford, CT.
• This is a major fundraiser for the Brookfield Lions and a major contributor to our many projects including children's vision screening, assisting the vision impaired, diabetes initiatives and others.
• Dom Lombardo and the golf committee reports there was a great lineup of golfers and that this event was one of our best fundraisers in recent history.

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Brookfield Lions Blood Drive - Wednesday, August 7, 2024

• The Brookfield Lions held their August Blood Drive on Wednesday, August 7, 2024 at St. Paul's Church, 174 Whisconier Road, Brookfield, CT from 1:30 pm until 6:30 pm.
• Lion Jackie Kettunen, our Blood Drive leader, reported the drive collected 52 pints of blood which was 7 pints over the drive's goal.
• Jackie can always use volunteers to help run the drives and also provide sandwiches, cookies, and brownies for the donors!
• If you are interested in learning more about the blood drives and donating or volunteering, please contact Jackie at jkettunen604@gmail.com.

Click here to see the August 2024 Blood Drive poster

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Lions 2nd International LCIF Vice President Banner transferred to the Brookfield Lions Club

• Mark Lyon received the 2nd International LCIF Vice President banner for the Brookfield Lions Club  at the 2024 Lions Club International Foundation Conference luncheon in Melbourne, Australia.

Lion Mark Lyon and Lion Sally Markiewicz receive the 2nd International Vice Presidential flag for the Brookfield Lions

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Brookfield Lions Club Year-End Dinner Meeting - Thursday, June 20, 2024

• The Brookfield Lions Club held their year-end officer installation and awards dinner on Thursday, June 20th.
• The dinner was held at Michael's Tap Room, 37 Stony Hill Rd, Bethel, CT.
• It's been another great year for the Brookfield Lions.
• More details and pictures coming soon!

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Brookfield High School Grad Party Cleanup - Saturday, June 15, 2024

• The Brookfield Lions once again helped to clean up after the Brookfield High School Graduation Party.
• Volunteers met at the High School at 5 am on Saturday, June 15th.

Lions Sue, Sally, Louise, and Christine reached new heights at this year's Brookfield High School Grad Party Cleanup 

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Brookfield Lions Blood Drive - Wednesday, June 12, 2024

• The Brookfield Lions held their June Blood Drive on Wednesday, June 12, 2024 at the Congregational Church of Brookfield 160 Whisconier Rd, Brookfield, CT from 1:30 pm until 6:30 pm.
• Jackie Kettunen, Brookfield Lions Blood Drive leader reported another successful drive was held. We hope to have details soon!
• If you are interested in learning more about the blood drives and donating or volunteering, please contact Jackie at jkettunen604@gmail.com.

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Brookfield Lions STRIDES Road Race - Sunday, June 2, 2024

• The 17th Annual Brookfield Lions Club STRIDES race was held on Sunday morning, June 2nd at Cadigan Park.

• The Brookfield Lions Club was proud to once again sponsor this event to promote diabetes awareness and research. The course starts from Cadigan Park and winds through the Candlewood Shores area before returning to Cadigan Park for the finish line.

• We had a very nice group of runners and a beautiful day weatherwise.

• Congratulations to all of our participants.​

STRIDES 2024 RACE PARTICPANTS - THANK YOU!

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Our 2024 STRIDES TEAM  :-)

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​Lions Marty and Jim O. directing runners. By some miracle, no one got lost!  :-)

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Brookfield Block Party - Sunday, June 2, 2024

• The Brookfield Lions Club hosted a table to promote our organization at the Brookfield Block Party on Sunday, June 2nd.
• The Lions also helped direct traffic at the event.

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Memorial Day Parade - Sunday, May 26, 2024

• The Brookfield Lions once again organized and hosted Brookfield's Memorial Day Parade on Sunday, May 26th.
• Lions Lori Peck, Robin Montgomery, and Sue Slater thank everyone that came out to march, donate candy, decorate or dance a good weather dance for yesterday's parade.
• Mother Nature cooperated and the weather shined on the parade and everyone had a great day!

Brookfield Lions - Memorial Day 2024​

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Marching Groups - Memorial Day Parade - 2024

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Brookfield Lions Club - Annual Earth Day Project - Saturday, April 27, 2024

• The Brookfield Lions Club Annual Earth Day project was held on Saturday, April 27, 2024 from 9 am until 12 noon.
• The Lions met at 9 am at Cadigan Park and the LEOs met at Brookfield High School.
• The Lions and LEOs cleaned various sites throughout Brookfield including Brookfield High School, the Greenway, and Cadigan Park.

CLICK HERE to see the Brookfield Lions Earth Day flyer

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The Brookfield Lions Club Earth Day Team - 2024

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Brookfield Lions Shred Day & Food Drive - Saturday, April 20, 2024

• The Brookfield Lions Club held a Community Shred Day and Food Drive event at Brookfield Town Hall, 100 Pocono Rd, Brookfield, CT on Saturday, April 20, 2024.
• The event was very successful! We had a steady flow of traffic for Shred Day and Lion Candy Smith did an excellent job collecting $501 in donations for the Cuddle Bear project.
• Lion Amy Diezemann commented that the Food Drive was very probably the best one we have yet held!

CLICK HERE to see the Shred Day & Food Drive Flyer

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Lion Glenn directing traffic, Lion Joan bringing them in, Lion Candy raising money for the Cuddles project and our Brookfield LEO doing a great job with the Food Drive!

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Community Garden is completely full for the 2024 season

• Lion Kathi Hlavac has announced that all 106 plot have been reserved for the 2024 growing season!

• The Community Garden is supported and managed by volunteer members of the Brookfield Lions Club in conjunction with the Town of Brookfield. It is located on the Gurski property along Route 133 in Brookfield, approximately one-quarter mile south of Route 25 (Whisconier Road).

• ​There are currently 106 plots of varying sizes and participation is limited to Brookfield residents age 16 or older. The non-refundable registration fee (either $25 or $35 based on plot size) covers costs for the maintenance and upkeep of the property, shed, pathways, and fencing as well as basic gardening supplies. Plots are assigned based on availability.

 Send an email to BrkfldLionsGarden@gmail.com if you need more information.

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Brookfield Lions Blood Drive - Wednesday, April 17, 2024

• The Brookfield Lions held their April Blood Drive on Wednesday, April 17, 2024 at the Congregational Church of Brookfield 160 Whisconier Rd, Brookfield, CT from 1:30 pm until 6:30 pm.
• Jackie Kettunen, Brookfield Lions Blood Drive leader, thanks all the  Lion volunteers who worked on the drive.
• If you are interested in learning more about the blood drives and donating or volunteering, please contact Jackie at jkettunen604@gmail.com.

CLICK HERE to see the Brookfield Lions Blood Flyer for April 2024

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Brookfield Lions Club - 5th Annual Pancake Breakfast - Sunday, April 7, 2024

• The Brookfield Lions held their 5th Annual Pancake Breakfast on Sunday, April 7th at the Brookfield High School cafeteria.
• Lion Karl Noivadhana once again led a wonderful team of Lions and LEOs to produce another very successful turnout for the breakfast. 
• At one point, all twelve tables at the breakfast were full!
• The LEOs did a tremendous job helping out with clearing tables, serving juice and coffee, and setting a reading area for the young children.
• The Brookfield KidSight team led by Klaus Nielsen and Christine Corsa offered free vision screenings and screened children and students at the event.  

CLICK HERE to view the 2024 Pancake Breakfast flyer

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The Brookfield Lions and LEOs

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Amazon Donation Pick-Up

• In mid-February 2024, Lions Candy and Alan Smith and Todd Corsa picked up 18 boxes of food, personal hygiene, cleaning products, stationary, and toys donated to the Lions by Amazon.
• All 18 boxes were then donated and delivered to Hillside Foods Outreach.
• A number of Lions clubs here in Connecticut have been participating in the Amazon program on a rotating basis.

Brookfield Lions Todd Corsa and Alan Smith with the Amazon delivery

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Blood Drive - Congregational Church of Brookfield - Wednesday February 21, 2024

• The Brookfield Lions held their initial Blood Drive of 2024 on Wednesday, February 21, 2024 at the Congregational Church of Brookfield 160 Whisconier Rd, Brookfield, CT.
• Jackie Kettunen, Brookfield Lions Blood Drive leader, will be giving us a report in the near future.
• Our next Blood Drive is scheduled on Wednesday, April 17, 2024 at the Congregational Church of Brookfield, 160 Whisconier Rd, Brookfield, CT from 1:30-6:30 pm.
• If you are interested in learning more about the blood drives and donating or volunteering, please contact Jackie at jkettunen604@gmail.com

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January Brookfield Lions Club Meeting

• Lion Lisa Reiss continues to bring an outstanding lineup of speakers to our club meetings that are typically held on the 4th Thursday of the months of January through May.
• In addition to our regular club meeting agenda led by Preseident Sue Slater, the January meeting featured Shannon Cobb, the President and CEO of Ann's Place.
• Ann's Place is a compassionate nonprofit serving Connecticut and Hudson Valley New York with professional counseling, support groups, wellness activities and educational resources.  Thousands of people facing cancer come to Ann's Place for support, all at no charge.
• To learn more about Ann's Place, click this link: https://www.annsplace.org/

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President Sue Slater with Shannon Cobb, President & CEO of Ann's Place

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Marty Carlin in the NewsTimes!

• The Danbury NewsTimes featured the wonderful service work that our own Marty Carlin has been doing through the years.
• Well done Marty!
• CLICK HERE for the NewsTimes Article
• Many thanks to multiple Brookfield Lions who brought this to our attention.
• CLICK HERE to read more about Marty's work on our Club Projects page

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37th Annual Brookfield Lions Club Run for Sight 4-Miler

• The Brookfield Lions Club held its 37th Annual New Year's Day Run for Sight 4-Miler on New Year's Day 2024.
• All monies raised go to supporting the Connecticut Lions Eye Research Foundation and other local charities.
• OFFICIAL COURSE: The course started in front of Brookfield High School, proceeded north on Long Meadow Hill Road, turned left on Hillandale Road, turned right on Farview Road, turned right on Ironworks Hill Road, and turned right on Long Meadow Hill Road for a flat and fast finish back at Brookfield High School.
• AWARDS: $100.00 cash awards for 1st Place Overall (M/F); $50.00 cash awards for 1st Place Masters (40+) (M/F); Age bracket awards for 1st, 2nd and 3rd Place (M/F); Break the course record and win an additional cash prize of $100.00!
• OFFICIAL COURSE RECORDS:    Male  John Raneri, 2020, 18:57                     Female   Sue Faber, 1989, 22:17

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE RUN FOR SIGHT EVENT ON BROOKFIELD PATCH

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Look below to see what we did in 2023!!

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Brookfield Lions Blood Drive - Wednesday, December 27, 2023

• The Brookfield Lions are supported a Blood Drive on Wednesday, December 27, 2023 at the Congregational Church of Brookfield 160 Whisconier Rd, Brookfield, CT.
• The December Blood Drive was dedicated to the memory of Joe Grimes, a Brookfield resident, who served the community in many ways and was a frequent blood donor.
• This was a longer duration Blood Drive as the Red Cross has asked the Brookfield Lions to extend their hours for this December event. The December Blood Drive will be from 10:00 am until 6:30 pm.
• Jackie Kettunen, Brookfield Lions Blood Drive leader, thanks all the  Lion volunteers who worked on the drive.
• If you are interested in learning more about the blood drives and donating or volunteering, please contact Jackie at jkettunen604@gmail.com.

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Trees of Hope benefiting Ronald McDonald House

• Lions Candy Smith, Pati Richards, and Christine Corsa did a beautiful job with their Christmas Tree to benefit the Ronald McDonald House.
• The tree was safely delivered to the Maritime Center in New Haven for the Ronald McDonald fundraise held from December 2-10.
• Well done, Candy, Pati, and Christine!

Lions Pati Richards and Christine Corsa with the Brookfield Lions Tree of Hope

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Lion Christine Corsa holds YOGA FUNDRAISER for the Cuddle Bear Project

• Lion Candy Smith let us know that her Cuddle Bear Project Co-Leader, Christine Corsa, teaches yoga online and has a devoted group of students.
• Christine sent all of her students a lovely note explaining her involvement with the Lions Club and the CUDDLES PROGRAM.
• Christine requested that instead of her usual fee for a 90 minute yoga session, students make a donation to CUDDLES. The result? Christine raised $500 for the Cuddle Bears!!!
• Congratulations Christine and Thank You! You are the epitome of WE SERVE! 

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Brookfield Lions Club 19th Annual Charity Breakfast - Friday, November 17, 2023

• The Brookfield Lions Club hosted their 19th Annual Charity Breakfast on Friday, November 17, 2023 at Michael's Tap Room, 37 Stony Hill Rd, Bethel CT.
• Our Annual Breakfast event leader, Lion Candy Smith, and our Club President, Sue Slater welcomed a great crowd of about 140 people who attended this year's breakfast.
• Our speaker this year was Michelle Brier from Blue Path Service Dogs for Autism.
• Congratulations and many, many THANKS once again to Lion Candy and her team!

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​Brookfield Lions Blood Drive team achieves Premier Blood Partner Status for its work with the Red Cross

• Blood Drive team leader, Jackie Kettunen, has proudly announced that Brookfield Lions Blood Drive team has achieved Premier Blood Partner for its work with the Red Cross through the years.
• This is a wonderful honor for the club and for Jackie's team of volunteers including the Brookfield High School LEOs!
• Jackie mentioned that the Brookfield Lions Blood Drives collected 251 pints of blood during the last year.
• Well done!

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Lions and Bears!

• Our Cuddle Bear team leaders, Candy Smith and Christine Corsa, announced that the team recently delivered Cuddle Bears to both Danbury Pediatrics and Ronald McDonald House.
• The Cuddle Bear team doing their best to bring smiles to faces!

Cuddle Bears at Danbury Pediatrics and at Ronald McDonald House with Lion Christine

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Trunk or Treat 2023!

• Lions Lisa Reiss, Louise Johnson, and Linda McCaffrey did another excellent job with this year's Trunk or Treat event that was held on Saturday, October 28th at the Brookfield Fire House.
• This year's decorating theme was 'Autumn in Brookfield.'
• Here's some photos of the Lions in action!

TRUNK OR TREAT 2023!

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The Senior Picnic hosted by the Brookfield Lions Club is BACK! Thursday, October 26, 2023

• The Senior Picnic is back! The Brookfield Lions hosted this year's Halloween-themed event.
• Senior Picnic chairperson, Lion Amy Diezemann, and her team did an amazing job bringing the Picnic back after timeout for the Covid pandemic.
• The photo collages tell the story!

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The Senior Picnic is BACK! Thank you Brookfield Lions.  :-)

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Sunday October 15, 2023 - Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) One Walk event in Norwalk, CT

• Lions Alan and Candy Smith lead and coordinate our diabetes service projects for the Brookfield Lions and also CT Lions District 23-A.
• They created a team which participated in the JDRF One Walk on Sunday, October 15, 2023 in Norwalk.
• When you have T1D, your pancreas stops producing insulin—a hormone the body needs to get energy from food. This means a process your body does naturally and automatically becomes something that now requires daily attention and manual intervention. There is nothing you can do to prevent it. And, currently, there is no cure. But JDRF is funding the most promising, cutting-edge science to end T1D and that’s why Candy and Alan are passionate about supporting the JDRF One Walk with the biggest and best team we can have.
• Register. Fundraise. Walk. Celebrate. It’s that easy (and that fun!) to sign up for our team. 

​CLICK HERE TO DONATE to the District 23A Teamand support JDRF One Walk

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Brookfield Lions Club Food Drive - Saturday, October 14, 2023

• The Brookfield Lions held a Food Drive from 10 am until 2 pm on Saturday, October 14th at the New Brookfield Market and Deli at 277 Whisconier Rd Brookfield, CT.
• Both Lions and LEOs worked together to make the event a big success!

CLICK HERE to see our Food Drive flyer! 

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Brookfield Lions Blood Drives - Wednesday, October 4, 2023 & Wednesday, August 9, 2023

• Our most Blood Drives were held on Wednesday, October 4, 2023 and August 9, 2023. Jackie Kettunen will let us know the results as soon as she receives them from the Red Cross. We'll post the results here ASAP.
• For the October 4th Blood Drive, Jackie Kettunen reported the club made their goal with 49 donors.
• Besides all the Lions who volunteered, Jackie had special thanks for the contributions of the 10 LEOs who signed up and helped out.
• Many thanks to everyone who volunteered to work at the Blood Drive and also provide cookies, brownies, and sadnwiches for our donors!
• Jackie mentioned there was so much food that the club was able to donate to both the Youth Group and the Dorothy Day Hospitality House in Danbury.
• See the results of all of our recent Blood Drive events on our Club Projects page!

• NEXT BLOOD DRIVE:

  • When: Wednesday, December 27, 2023, 1:30 pm - 6:30 pm

  • Where: Congregational Church of Brookfield, 160 Whisconier Rd., Brookfield, CT

  • Jackie can always use individually wrapped cookies, brownies, and sandwiches for our donors!

  • To volunteer, donate, or learn more: ​Please contact Jackie at  jkettunen604@gmail.com

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Brookfield Lions Club 40th Annual Charity Golf Tournament - Friday, September 22, 2023

• The Brookfield Lions Club held our 40th Annual Charity Tournament on Friday, September 22nd at the beautiful Fairview Farm Golf Course 300 Hill Road in Harwinton, CT.
• The tournament which is our largest fundraiser has supported initiatives for the visually impaired and many other Brookfield Community organizations since 1966.
• Many thanks to all the sponsors and all the golfers who helped make this year's torunament another success!
• Also, congratulations to Dom Lombardo and the Golf Committee for all their hard work!

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Veterans Stand Down - Friday, September 22, 2023

• Once again, Robin Montgomery led this effort for our club and for Connecticut District 23A Lions Clubs.
• This event supports local Veterans who are most in need with medical screening, essential hygiene products and clothing, and more.  
• Thanks to Lion Robin and everyone who donated to this wonderful cause.

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Connecticut Lions Pathfinder Camp for children with Type 1 Diabetes

• Connecticut Lions partner with the Meriden, CT YMCA to sponsor this special summer camp gives children with Type 1 diabetes the opportunity to have a fun outdoor experience while under the care of registered nurses who specialize in the care of pediatric diabetes.
• This year the camp was held over two weeks, July 31 to August 4, 2023, and August 7-11, 2023.
• Candy and Alan Smith of our Brookfield club coordinate diabetes awareness activities and events for our club and for the Connecticut Lions of District 23A.

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Lion Alan Smith with the Pathfinder Camp campers

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Brookfield Lions Club Annual Meeting - Officer Installation and Awards - Thursday, June 22, 2023

• CLICK HERE to see our Club officers for 2023-2024.

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Brookfield High School Grad Party - Sunday, June 18, 2023

• Many thanks to Lion Lori Peck for organizing the Brookfield High School Grad Party clean-up event again this year.
• The event was back after being scaled down the last several years due to the pandemic.
• Thanks to all the volunteers who showed up at 5 am on Sunday, June 18th!

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Brookfield Lions Blood Drive - Wednesday, June 14, 2023

• Lion Jackie Kettunen, our Blood Drive leader, reports that our June 14th Blood Drive collected 53 pints of blood.
• Jackie shared the following information about the past ten years of the Brookfield Lions' Blood Drives:
  • The Brookfield Lions have held 58 Blood Drives.
  • We have collected an average of 47 pints per drive.
  • In total, we have collected 2714 total pints.
  • 2,992 donors have attended our Blood Drives.

• ​Amazing service by our members!
• Many, many thanks to Lion Jackie and her team.​

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STRIDES Road Race - Sunday, June 4, 2023

• The Brookfield Lions Club held its 16th Annual JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) STRIDES to Cure Diabetes 5 Miler Road Race on Sunday, June 4, 2023 at Cadigan Park on Candlewood Lake Rd, Brookfield, CT.

• It was a brisk, sunny day for all the participants and volunteers. We had 72 registered runners for the event.

• Many thanks to all the participants and to the Lions volunteers. Another great job by Amy Diezemann, Alan Peck and others to make sure we had another successful STRIDES event!

The Brookfield Lions at the 2023 STRIDES event to benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation

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Lions and Cuddles and Bears!!!!

• Cuddle Bear project leaders Lion Christine Corsa and Lion Candy Smith announced that 100 new Cuddle Bears were just delivered to Yale New Haven Hospital.

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Memorial Day Parade - Sunday, May 28, 2023

• Once again this year, the Brookfield Lions Club organized and hosted the annual Memorial Day Parade.
• Many thanks to the parade committee headed by Robin Montgomery, Lori Peck, and Sue Slater and all the Lions Club volunteers who helped make this year's parade a success.
• There were over 30 groups represented in this year's parade which also included.

The Brookfield Lions - Memorial Day 2023!

The Brookfield Lions Memorial Day Parade float

Memorial Day Parade marchers

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Annual Community Shred Day - Saturday, May 20, 2023

• The rainy weather didn't dampen the spirits of our Lion and LEO volunteers at our Community Shred Day and Food Drive event on Saturday, May 20th at Brookfield Town Hall.
• This event benefited the Brookfield Lions Club and the Brookfield Food Pantry.
• Great job of coordinating the event by Amy Diezemann!​

Many THANKS to all our wonderful Lions and LEOs who volunteered!

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Brookfield Lions Club Melvin Jones Award Winners Honored

• Lions Bob Pitcher and Karl Noivadhana were presented with their Melvin Jones Awards at our May 11th Dinner Meeting.
• Lions Clubs International recognizes outstanding individuals by bestowing on them an award that is named for its founder, Melvin Jones. This Fellowship Award is the highest form of recognition and embodies humanitarian ideas consistent with the nature and purpose of Lionism.

Congratulations to Bob and Karl!​

Bob Pitcher and Karl Noivadhana receiving their Melvin Jones awards

from Club President Alan Peck and Club 1st Vice-President Sue Slater

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JDRF Wish Ball - May 6th, 2023

• Candy and Alan Smith, our Lions state representatives for Diabetes and JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation), attended the JDRF Wish Ball on Saturday, May 6th.
• Candy and Alan reported that there were 500 attendees to this major fundraiser event and there were 15 Lion volunteers from across the 3 Lion Districts of CT who helped to make this another wonderful JDRF event.

​​​Lions Candy and Alan Smith at the May 6th JDRF Wish Ball

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Community Garden Clean-Up - Saturday, April 29, 2023

• Unfortunately, due to the inclement weather the weekend of April 29-30, the Community Garden Cleanup was cancelled.
• Lions Kathi Hlavac and Dori Cundari thank all the Lions and LEOs who volunteered.
• Kathi and Dori are looking into working with the LEOs on some alternative dates for a scaled down cleanup of the garden.
• There is good news! Lion Kathi reported at our April Club meeting that all 106 plots of the Community Garden are spoken for!
• We'll try to make sure we have some pictures of the gardens later this summer so that everyone can see what an excellent community service this is.

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JDRF SUMMIT - Friday, April 28, 2023

• Candy and Alan Smith reported that the JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) Summit was held on Friday, April 28th at the Norwalk Inn.
• Candy told us that 140 registered for the event and that some great speakers higlighted new monitoring techniques and families had a wonderful opportunity to network with one another.

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• Brookfield Lion Alan Smith presenting an appreciation award to keynote speaker Anastasia Albanese-O’Neill, Clinical  Advisor & Director of Diabetes Education at the University of Florida Pediatrics.
• Anastasia spoke about the importance of diabetes testing and clinical trials. ​

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Brookfield Lions Club Meeting - Thursday, April 27, 2023

• We had an excellent club meeting on Thursday, April 27th with some wonderful guests including Mark McGrath from FIDELCO dogs, FIDELCO trainer Hailey Darr, and Saber, a FIDELCO dog in training.
• It all led to very informative and enjoyable presentation and evening for our members!

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Brookfield Lions Earth Day - Saturday April 22, 2023

• The cold, misty start to Earth Day did not dampen the spirits of the Brookfield Lions and LEOs!
• Our Earth Day organizer, Karl Noivadhana, reported that 18 Lions, 2 guest volunteers, and 6 LEOs helped us clean up several places around the Brookfield community.
• The LEOs handled the grounds at Brookfield High School and found some interesting items during the clean-up including an exhaust pipe, bicycle, sonotube, many sporting goods, and more.​

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Brookfield Lions Blood Drive - Wednesday April 19, 2023

• Once again Lion Jackie Kettunen and team held yet another very successful Blood Drive on Wednesday April 19th.
• Jackie thanks all the Lion volunteers and a LEO volunteer who made cookies for our blood donors!
• Jackie reports the April Blood Drive had 52 donors resulting in 41 pints collected which can potentially help 123 people.
• The next drive will be held on Wednesday, June 14, 2023 at the Congregational Church of Brookfield, 160 Whisconier Rd, Brookfield, CT.
• This will be an extended hours Blood Drive from 10:00 am - 6:30 pm. We will be creating a volunteer sign-up for this drive as Jackie will need extra volunteers.
• If you'd like to volunteer and learn more, please contact Jackie Kettunen at jkettunen604@gmail.com 
• See the results of all of our recent Blood Drive events on our Club Projects page!

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Our Lions Volunteers

Our wonderul donors!

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Brookfield Lions Club 4th Annual Pancake Breakfast - Sunday April 2, 2023

• Our 4th Annual Pancake Breakfast was held at the Brookfield High School cafeteria on Sunday April 2, 2023 from 8:30 am - 12:30 pm.
• Lion Karl Noivadhana organized another excellent event. Early reports looked good as there was a good-sized crowd early Sunday morning. 
• Many thanks to all the Lions and LEOs who volunteered and helped to make this event a success.
• Lion John Mackiewicz dazzled the crowd with his magic and the Easter Bunny made an early appearance the week before Easter.

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Regional Hospice Breakfast - Thursday, March 16, 2023

• Club President Alan Peck reported that 20 of our members attended the 36th Annual Shamrock Breakfast at the Candlewood Lake Inn in support of Regional Hospice.
• Regional Hospice is an amazing organization which serves our community in an incredibly meaningful, respectful and personal way.   
• Regional Hospice represents our club's largest singular charitable donation.
• Thanks to everyone for the great work you all do to raise money for amazing charities like Regional Hospice.  It truly makes a difference in our local community and beyond. ​

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February 22, 2023 Blood Drive

• Lion Jackie Kettunen thanks everyone for helping make our February Blood Drive another success!
• Jackie reports the February drive made our goal resulting in 48 useable pints which can potentially save 144 lives.
• As usual, Jackie and team had a great staff and everything ran smoothly. A good number of donors have already signed up for the April 19, 2023 blood drive.
• Jackie thanks everyone for their help whether it was helping at the drive, donating blood, or making food for the drive. It was greatly appreciated by the donors and Red Cross!
• The next drive will be held on Wednesday, April 19, 2023 at the Congregational Church of Brookfield, 160 Whisconier Rd, Brookfield, CT.
• If you'd like to volunteer and learn more, please contact Jackie Kettunen at jkettunen604@gmail.com
• See the results of all of our recent Blood Drive events on our Club Projects page!

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CUDDLE BEARS!!!!

• Looking for a fun project?????
• Please contact Lion Candy Smith or Lion Christine Corsa to help with the CUDDLES project in support of an LCI initiative: Pediatric Cancer.
• Christine Corsa reported that a new batch Cuddles teddy bears are being purchased and will be assembled and packaged for delivery to the Pediatric Cancer Unit at Children's Hospital in Hartford.
• We need your HELP assembling and packaging the teddy bears!
  • Next Meeting:  (Future dates being determined)
  • Where: We'll let everyone know!
• Please contact:
  • ​Candy Smith - Anniekatesmom@gmail.com
  • Christine Corsa - mageesit@aol.com
• ​Many thanks to Cathy Nielsen and Amy Diezemann for all their contributions and their past leadership of this wonderful program.

Lions Karin & Bob Symington, Cathy Nielsen, Amy Diezemann, and Anne McVey with the Cuddle Bears!

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Annual Run for Sight - New Years Day 2023

Sunday, January 1, 2023

• WOW! What a way to start the New Year!
• The Brookfield Lions Club Annual Run for Sight event hosted over 150 runners this year.
• We had a beautiful sunny day with temperatures nearing 50 degrees to greet our runners and volunteers.
• Prizes were awarded in many categories and they included gift certificates, sweatshirts, and, of course, those famous New Year's Day pies!
• Many thanks to Amy Diezemann, Alan Peck, Mark Lyon, Jim Diezemann, and all our Lions volunteers who worked to make this a tremendous event for the runners and for our club.

CLICK HERE to see the 2023 Annual Run for Sight Race Flyer