Naches Sunshine Lions Club

District 19-F

Washington, United States

 

Members

  

 

 

Past Presidents of the Sunshine Lions Club

  

 

Melvin Jones Fellows

 

Marty Close

 

 

Lion of the Year

1989-1990                Sondra Stillwaugh

Helen Keller's 1925 Address to the International Lions Convention

 

"I am knocking at your door.  I want to be adopted.  I appeal to you, you who have your sight, your hearing, you brave and strong and kind.  Will you not constitute yourselves knights of the blind in this crusade against darkness?"

 

 

 

 

History of the Naches Sunshine Lions Club

The Naches Sunshine Lions chartered on March 23, 1989, with 25 members. Of these, 5 are still active.   The Naches Sunshine Lions Club was honored to celebrate its 20^th anniversary in 2009 in conjunction with the Naches Lions Club celebrating their 60^th anniversary.  The Naches Lions was our sponsoring club.  Both clubs work together on many projects. 

 

Over the past 20 years, the Sunshine Lions have been serving the Naches Community with energy and enthusiasm. They have provided hearing and vision testing and corrective equipment to many community members.  The club provided the food for a Measles Clinic in the community.  They have purchased stuffed animals for the State Patrol, and made pillows with books for the Naches Fire Department. They enjoy providing Senior Appreciation Bags to our senior citizens every Christmas. At Thanksgiving and Christmas they provide 3 and sometimes 4 baskets of food for needy families, and when asked provide Christmas for families that have fallen on hard times.  For the Salvation Army’s Project 300, we sponsor children and some club members take children shopping at Christmas. We also support the local food bank. One of the fun activities everyone enjoys is the annual shopping trip the weekend before Easter. Every year, members of the community get up early in the morning to go shopping for the day in Oregon. They are provided with a continental breakfast, and play Bingo all the way to the mall. On the way back a light snack is provided and many tired shoppers just visit quietly or sleep. 

 

The youth of Naches are a very important part of our community.   Over the years, the club has chosen to promote the youth in many ways. The club supports DARE in our local schools. We helped support our local choir when they were asked to perform for the Washington Music Directors Conference in Spokane.   Annually, the club provides scholarships for graduating seniors, and has also donated to the senior class party. The club wrote a matching grant to purchase a new and much needed starting and sound system for the Naches Swim Team. 

 

The Sunshine Lions often work together with other area clubs. They work with the Naches Lions on Sportsman’s Days activities; i.e. the parade, builds the float, and sponsors the royalty. The Club started the Senior Meals Program in Naches with the help of the Naches, Tieton, and Chinook Pass Lions. They work with clubs needing help with Indian John Hill Rest Stop providing coffee to tired travelers. They worked with the West Valley Lions when they needed help doing the Truck Survey for WSU.  When Chinook Pass Lions took on the project to build the memorial for the 30 Mile Fire victims, the Sunshine Lions were one of the clubs that helped.

 

All of these activities are supported by the many fundraisers done throughout the year.