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Annual donations to Morrison Little League, Morrison Softball, Morrison Boy Scouts, support with other groups for Boys State scholarships, Helping Hand, and Odell Public Library. In addition donations are made to American Diabetes Association, Camp Lions, Lions of Illinois Foundation, Center for Sight and Hearing, Lions Clubs International Foundation, Eversight - (Illinois Eye Bank), and Leader Dogs for the Blind. An annual donation is also made to Lions of Illinois Foundation for low vision screening. Low vision screening is a program available for students in grades K-12 and are referred by Special Education Staff employed by the Illinois Board of Education. The Foundation is in partnership with Spectrios Institute for Low Vision, the Illinois College of Optometry, and the Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind in providing a free comprehensive visual evaluation to the students. Exams are performed by licensed optometrists that travel to screening locations throughout the state. The program provides the visually impaired student with optical tools and training necessary to help prevent further vision loss or even blindness. It helps preserve what sight the student may have left.
Two $1,000 scholarships are awarded each year to Morrison High School graduates.
Reimbursement on a yearly basis to the CGH Health Foundation for cost of eyeglasses for children in the Morrison area
Financial assistance to needy Morrison area residents for eyeglasses and hearing aids.
Members donate cash, canned goods, and paper products to the Morrison Food Pantry on a monthly basis.
Members donate caps, scarves, and mittens to the Morrison Schools for distribution by teachers and nurses to students who may have forgotten such items or to students when a need is noted.
Adopt a Highway - cleaning a one mile stretch of Highway 30 east of Morrison
The Club purchased a reader/magnification system including the television. The Club has partnered with Odell Public Library where it will be stored and if anyone in the community has a need for it, you may contact any Lions Club member or the Library. A lending agreement will be signed and the machine may be used for as long as the need exists at no charge.
Unlock Your Heart - this is a recycling program - donate your old keys you no longer use - steel, brass, aluminum and tin keys can be recycled. Keys are forwarded to Lions of Illinois Foundation where they are sold for the "scrap" and the funds received further help support vision and hearing programs - specifically helps support infant vision and hearing screening programs. Look for containers - the local Morrison True Value store welcomes the project and will be helping collection efforts by dropping keys that are not correct or being used in the container.
Morrison area Annual Lions Recycle Day was started as a service project in September, 2018. This project is held annually in April and close to "Earth Day - April 22" at the Whiteside County Fairgrounds.
To celebrate 75 years, Morrison Lions Club members voted to build a 24' x 32' picnic shelter pavilion at the new Sports Complex. Boy Scout Nick Kaufman partnered with the club and was involved with raising funds (approximately $16,000) for the structure and also being involved with concrete work and finishing the site after the structure was erected. The Wick structure built by Wick employees, is guaranteed for 40 years and to withstand high winds and heavy snow loads. The structure with an ivory colored roof, tan peaks, posts, and ceiling is bird proof and blends with the buildings already at the complex. It is another way of keeping our motto "WE SERVE". Additional monies raised above the cost of the structure was used to purchase benches, picnic tables for the pavilion, waste receptacle, display board, and landscaping. An outside water fountain was also placed at the concession stand. A formal dedication of the pavilion was held on Sunday afternoon, May 31, 2015.
A memorial from the family of the late Vivian Tenboer was given to the Lions Club. Members voted to use the memorial for the purchase of a needed Otoscope (an instrument used for looking into ears). Mrs. Tenboer had been a long time bus driver for the Morrison Schools. The presentation was done in May, 2015.
To honor Lions International 100 year Centennial Celebration in 2017, Morrison Lions Club members voted to improve the pavilion at French Creek Park as a Legacy Project. A much needed new metal roof has been installed and some minor repairs and paint will be completed in the spring. An additional part of this Legacy Project was the installation of a basketball hoop at the southeast corner of the parking lot. As Lions begin the second 100 years, we are bringing diabetes, a leading cause of blindness, to the forefront. Hence we hope the young, the not so young and the old will make use of the hoop and exercise which helps control diabetes. Enjoy this nice area to shoot some baskets or a pickup game!
