5th annual Winterfest - Lions sponsored Vendor/Kraft Fair, Food & family fun event January 23. See Calendar for more information. Or visit our Winterfest Facebook page
Better eyesight - better lives
3,000 Marana K-3 students screened in 2014/2015 school year
Thanks to the Lions from across Tucson - and as far away as Green Valley - every K-3 student in Marana School District got their vision screened by the Lions this fall. Hundreds of children were referred for follow up professional exams and will be seeing better - so they can learn better.
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Students who do not see well often are labeled slow learners, may be held back a grade, and may be bullied by other children. By routinely screening the vision of students in Marana Schools, Lions aim to catch those students with undiagnosed vision problems so that they can be referred for professional examinations and possible eyeglasses.
Marana Lions offer free vision screenings at schools and at the Marana Health Center Back to School event and help with screenings in neighboring towns. Last year, local Lions screened nearly 2000 individuals and referred more than 200 for follow up care with a professional eye care provider.
Lions support better reading
School libraries often suffer from budget cuts - but Lions know that good libraries can help students become better readers - and better readers do better in school. The Marana Lions work with Friends of the Marana Unified School District Libraries to provide award winning books to each of the 16 MUD libraries. Books selected by Lion and librarian Lisa Martin in 2012/13 included This is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen and The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate.
In addition to book purchased, Marana Lions also negotiated the donation of dozens of overstock books from an Indiana publisher to the Marana school libraries. Marana Host Lions paid for shipping.
To raise funds for books, Marana Lions sell Really Big Cloring Books at community events and from their offices. The coloring books are about 18 x24" and packed with coloring pages, fun facts and pages suitable for reading with a child. Really Big Coloring Books come in a variety of topics and sell for $10. In both Spanish and English versions, the books are suitable as gifts for both preschool and grade school youngsters and are favorites with grandparents. Email MaranaHostLions@gmail.com to order.
Marana Host Lions reduce waste and provide better vision for people in other countries through eyeglass recycling
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Imagine walking for miles in the hot sun - or standing all day in line - just to get a pair of glasses. Imagine the pride of a father getting a pair of glasses so he can see well enough to work and support his family - or the joy of a grandmother seeing her gandchildren clearly for the first time.
These are the stories Lions hear about their work to provide used eyeglasses to individuals in developing nations. By collecting and processing used glasses through the Arizona Lions Eyeglass Recycling Center, Marana Host Lions help to send thousands of pairs of recycled glasses on vision missions to other countries each year.
Lions Eyeglass collection boxes are located at:
- Rock N Java Coffee Shop, Coachline and Twin Peaks Roads
- Canyon Community Bank, 8631 N. Silverbell Road
- MHC Health Care, 13395 N. Marana Main Street
- Continental Computer Services, 111 North Main (Oracle and Speedway) in Tucson
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Marana Host Lions build peace through international youth exchange
Arizona's own international youth exchange program brings 8 young people from around the world to our state for an all expense paid six week tour each year. The program also sends Arizona youth abroad to Lions Exhange programs in 41 countries.
Visiting youth spend one week touring northern Arizona, including the Grand Canyon, and one week touring the southern portion of the state. Each student alo spends two weeks as guest in a Lion's home, forging relationships that often last into future generations.
For information about hosting a youth exchange student or sending a Marana youth abroad, contact Lion Richard Singervalt at 520 444-1667
Marana Lions support independence for those who cannot see
Pancakes and Motorcycles raise funds for blind students
When Lions and motorcycle riders team up, the youngsters at the Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind (ASDB) come out the winners! Marana Lions supported the Catalina Oro Valley Lions in their annual partnership with the Old Pueblo Riders of Tucson to raise funds for ASDB, a residency school for deaf and blind students in Tucson.
Highlight of the morning has to be the free rides on motorcycles for any ASDB students who wants to get in line. The course around the school is punctuated with squeals of joy and lots of fist pumping as the youngsters thrill to the wind in their faces and vibrating thunder of the big bikes.
Now in its 10th year, the Old Pueblo Riders Run for the Kids has provided more than $75,000 for the school. Lions help out by setting up their cook tents at the starting line to serve pancake breakfast to the hungry riders and ASDB students and staff.
BrewHaHa raises funds for low vision education
Marana Host Lions teamed up with Tucson Downtown Lions to handle ticket and food sales for the first annual Tucson BrewHaHa beer tasting and comedy night at Casino del Sol. Funds will help EMVIA, a local nonprofit whose mission is to provide assistance to those losing their eyesight.
Teacher appreciation project
