RIVERDALE, UTAH LIONS CLUB
ORGANIZATION DATE: May 23,1954
ORGANIZED BY: Clyde Gould
SPONSORING CLUB: Ogden, Utah
1st PRESIDENT: Roland 0. Bills
1st SECRETARY: Wallace M. Knight
1st TREASURER: Wallace M. Knight
ORGANIZED WITH: 30 Charter Members
Riverdale Lions Club Charter Members
May, 1954
1. G. Edwin Anderson 16. Douglas H. Kershaw
2. H. Beecher 17. Wallace M. Knight
3. Lloyd Berrett 18. Koichi Koike
4. R. O. Bills 19. Owen G. Losee
5. Donald S. Bingham 20. G. A. Nebeker
6. A. E, Brown 21. Ed L. Porter
7. Alexander Carlson 22. C. W. Rapp
8. Burton C. Caraham 23. Stanley Roessler
9. Rosco Child 24. Ralph Russo
10. Hal G. Davis 25. Lester C. Sant
11. Henry Dee 26. Fermin D. Santos
12. W. Chet Fronk 27. H. Nuell Sparrow
13. J. Paul Gale 28. D. H. Stimpson
14. Wayne Garfield 29. Thurman Tubbs
15. A. C. Johnson 30. Elwyn S. Walker
ACTIVITY HISTORY
1954-1955
Sponsored a Christmas Party for Ladies Night. Gave small "Puppy Dog" to a little boy who is blind. Formed a committee to select the proper sites for the construction of three "Lion Road Signs". Sponsored a Radio Program organized by Lions Henry Dee and Ferrnin Santos; Station KOPP, Ogden, Utah. Lion Nebeker presented a film to the students of the Riverdale School. Sponsored "Boys Quartet" on Radio Station KOPP, Ogden, Utah. Sponsored "Litterbug Campaign". Sponsored two boys to the Utah Boy's State, which is a school to train the youth in State Government procedures. Lion Anderson, Fiet, Gantos, Davis and Knight assisted in the construction of a foundation for the "Fireplace" in the Riverdale town Park. Purchased a pair of eyeglasses for a small child.
1956-1957
Sponsored a Float in the local July 4th celebration. Operated a "Booth" in the Concession area during this celebration. Built Concession Stands for the celebration. Hauled lumber from the town park to the town garage for storage. Members of the club hauled rocks to build a fireplace in the local park. Under the direction of Chairman G. Edwin Anderson members of the club shingled the roof and painted the Pavilion in the Riverdale Town Park. Sponsored Ladies Night. Paid for an eye exam for a small girl and boy, purchased the boy a pair of eyeglasses. Organized a committee to plan a program to help raise funds for the new Roy Junior High School.
1960-1961
Held a "Picnic Party for all Lions and their wives at the Riverdale Park. We invited 20 guests and their wives to learn what the Lion Clubs do for the community in which they live. Several of the guests were very interested,we hoped they would join our club in the near future. Members cleaned and weeded area in front of the Riverdale School. Sponsored Christmas Party for ladies of the club. We cooperated with the P.T.A. in sponsoring an Americanism Up Front Seminar in our area where each member was to call five neighbors and encourage them to attend these meetings. Gave checker sets to blind area residents. Pledged $50 to help sponsor a local Junior League Baseball Team. Paid $50 to help sponsor a local Little League Baseball Club. Cleaned out all weeds and raked up trash that had accumulated in the patch of Fitzer evergreens that we planted last spring in front of Riverdale School House. Raised funds from sale of Brooms and Light Bulbs to construct Rest Rooms at Riverdale Park. Enjoyable annual Summer Picnic held at local Park: Chances were sold on a Pool Table of which the proceeds were applied to our fund for building Rest Rooms at the Park; a one hundred per cent profit was raised from the fundraiser. Held annual Christmas Party December 14th.
1976-1978
Members spent 76 hours on City Directory Project. In addition to assisting with a Parade and Civic activities for a bicentennial celebration the Lions maintained a stand that served breakfast and lunch on Saturday July 3rd where 840 hamburgers were sold on July 5th. The club raised $600 profit to assist in Civic Projects. Purchased a pair of eyeglasses for a local boy, the contact was made through his school. For a service project Lions renovated 50 gallon drums into garbage cans for use at City Parks. Lion's decals were put on them. For a fundraiser the Lions served Breakfast after a Flag Raising Ceremony. on the 4th of July. Members also built "Booths" for Concessions during July 4th celebration where members sold hamburgers at one of the booths. The club received a "Certificate of Recognition" from the Utah Lions Charities Foundation for one hundred per cent participation toward the "Mobile Clinic Van".
1983-1987
The club was in charge of the "Breakfast" and "Hamburger Booth" during Riverdale "Old Glory Days" held July 4th. Eight Lions and wives helped during the "Breakfast" and the same at the "Hamburger Booth". A substantial profit was made on each project. "Benefit Concert" held October 15"' where the "Four R's", a musical group entertained that were sponsored by our club, all Lions participated. Provided yeglasses costing $107 for local eleven-year-old girl. Held annual "Steak Fry" at town Park with wives, which included a program with games that we considered an excellent activity. Issued a check to Weber School District Foundation for area participant education and a check to Utah Lions Foundation for Sight Conservation for the Blind. Made contributionto Riverdale Police Crime Prevention to provide funds for taking fingerprints and videotapes of community children. Held successful fundraiser during "Old Glory Days" once again serving "Breakfast" and later “Hamburgers". Sponsored a "Benefit Drive" to aise the necessary funds to purchase a special wheel chair for Linda Thompson, a ittle six year old girl who was born deaf and has Cerebral Palsy caused by premature birth. She has never been able to walk or talk. This chair was needed to support her back and legs so her spine and legs would remain straight. This project was accomplished as one of our members, Howard C. Coleman, who owns a theater, turned over the proceeds of one night run for this event. Every member of the club sold tickets for this benefit. It turned out very successful as we collected enough to purchase this special wheel chair. We also had a project of contributing to a needy family for Christmas. This also turned out to be a very successful and gratifying experience. On January 29th, 1987 the club held it's second annual Lions Drug Awareness Program. As last year, this year's program was aimed primarily at sixth graders and their parents where there were 137 in attendance. The keynote speaker was Colleen Bangerter, wife of Governor Bangerter; followed by Police Chief Glenn who reviewed community problems. A short movie "The Wizard of No" was shown and the program concluded with the Ogden High School Improvisation group who involved the audience with various types of encounters our youth may have with drugs and alcohol from peers and acquaintances, etc. Resource information was made available from the following sources: Riverdale Police Department, Crime Prevention Unit and Lions International Pamphlet handouts. Contacts for help as follows: Weber County Utah State Division Drug and Alcoholism information; Weber and Davis County Parent Support Group, "Tough Love" information.
1994-1999
Sent 535 pairs of eyeglasses collected in Riverdale area to the California Lions Collection Center to send throughout the World. Held August Social. Donated $350 to Sight First and $250 to Campaign for Sight from the service project the club held at the March Spaghetti Dinner. The Annual Christmas Party was held at the Hayloft Restaurant where special guest Cordell Hull sang Christmas Songs and played the guitar with Lion Joe Thompson. Held annual "Spaghetti Dinner" April 25th netting $1,000. Contributed $500 to LCIF, $250 to Utah Lions Foundation and the balance to other local charity projects Held the annual Breakfast and Burger Fry fundraiser during the 4th of July Holiday 1999 and had good member support from those who were in the area. Donated $50 to Mexico's earthquake victims for supplies. Raised $1,200 from "Spaghetti Dinner". All proceeds were given to sight First,. local businesses provided all food requirements. Other projects include first street lights in Riverdale on 4400 South: Helping Boy Scouts with Eagle Projects collecting and preparing glasses for shipment to Third World Countries: Raised funds for Sight First projects with “White Cane Day”:Raised money for eye projects including four prosthetic eyes and one cataract operation.
