Town of Wright/Schoharie Valley Lions Club

Club Projects

Town of Wright - Schoharie Valley Lions Club

see our website at
www.wrightschoharievalleylions.com

1975 50+ Years of Serving Present

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Charter Night Celebration
April 20

Origins of the Town of Wright/Schoharie Valley Lions Club

The Town of Wright Lions Club was Chartered on April 16, 1975, serving the towns of Wright and Schoharie and the Schoharie school district. The Middleburgh/Schoharie Valley Lions Club was Chartered on February 18, 1984, and later merged with the Gilboa-Conesville Lions Club. They served the towns of Middleburgh, Schoharie and Gilboa, and the Middleburgh and Gilboa-Conesville school districts.

Since the mid-1990’s, the two clubs partnered for joint projects which included fundraisers, installation ceremonies, district governor visitations and a “Join Hands Day” project which paired youths and adults for a community services project. Following the 1996 Schoharie County “flood of the century” the clubs worked together to obtain a $10,000 Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) grant and went door-to-door in all affected areas of the county delivering emergency relief vouchers.

In 2001, the two clubs officially merged to become the Town of Wright/Schoharie Valley Lions Club with a Charter date of April 16, 1975. The Lions club provides service to the towns of Wright, Schoharie and Middleburgh and surrounding areas.

Gallupville Town Park & Pavilion
Tennis & Basketball Courts

Beginning in 1976 the Lions worked with the Town of Wright by raising funds and contributing labor to create a park from scratch in Gallupville. By the early 1980’s the park was firmly established and tennis and basketball courts were added and officially dedicated in 1984. In 1992 a Lions member (Lion James Lord) served on a citizens committee to obtain a grant from the Iroquois Gas Transmission System’s Land Preservation and Enhancement Program to construct a picnic pavilion. The Lions purchased and planted arborvitae around the perimeter of the park, purchased picnic tables and barbecue grills, and installed lighting in the pavilion and security lighting in the park. In 2004 the Lions sponsored a Boy Scout (Jacob Foisey, Troop 4, Schoharie) who constructed a toilet in the park as his Eagle project. A Lions member served as his project advisor.

The town provides mowing services and maintains the park grounds and the tennis and basketball courts. The Lions did an annual clean-up consisting of weed whacking, raking, mulching, planting and pruning, as well as repairing and painting the picnic tables and benches. The Lions also repair or replace netting, posts, backboards, hoops and fencing. Resealing the asphalt surfaces of the courts has now been taken over by the Town.

During Hurricane Irene in 2011, the tennis and basketball courts were extensively damaged. The damage to the town park was less and was restored by the town workers. The town and community managed to obtain a grant to repair the tennis and basketball courts. This was completed in time for the summer of 2013.

The Lions Club provided and installed a replacement tennis net. During the winter, the net and posts are stored in the bottle recycling building. In 2014 the Club purchased two heavy duty park seats for use at the tennis courts.

Hospital Equipment Loan Closet

The club works in cooperation with the Schoharie County Office for the Aging and maintains a supply of hospital beds, wheelchairs, walkers, crutches, commodes and adaptive equipment. These items are available for loan at no charge.

Veterans - World War II & Korean War Commemorative Community

The Town of Wright/Schoharie Valley Lions Club applied and was designated a WW II Commemorative Community in 1993, and a Korean War Commemorative Community in 2000. It is charged with honoring veterans and educating the public through presentations and educational activities. Activities have included an exhibit at the Old Stone Fort Museum Complex in Schoharie, the rededication of the WW II Monument in Schoharie, an air show featuring vintage aircraft, Veteran’s Day programs, and participation in the Memorial Day parade sponsored by the American Legion Schoharie Post 1210.

In 2007 and 2008 the Lions partnered with the Richmondville/Cobleskill Lions Club to sponsor a 1940s USO show at the Cobleskill Fairgrounds, in collaboration with the Hudson-Mohawk Chapter of the NY-Penn Military Vehicles Collectors Club.

Some Lions have volunteered as guardians in the Honor Flight Network to escort WW II veterans to visit the WW II Memorial in Washington, D.C.

The Club participates with the Blue Star Mothers organization to pack donations for local troops serving overseas. Lions assist by packing gift boxes at Colonie Center and donating towards the mailing cost.

Disaster Relief

The club budgets for local emergency relief for individuals and widespread disasters and has raised funds for state, national and international disasters. In 1996, the club obtained a $10,000 Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) grant, and raised an additional $2,000 to assist people displaced by flooding in Schoharie County. Most of this assistance went to individuals directly impacted.

The Lions purchased CPR kits and emergency shelter signs for the three emergency shelters in Gallupville and arranged for CPR training for Lions and emergency shelter staff.

The Lions raised and donated funds to assist victims of other flooding in the North Country, the tornado in Mechanicville, the Tsunami in South East Asia, and also Hurricane Katrina.

The Club participated in the local relief efforts following Hurricane Irene and Lee in 2011. Funds were solicited from Lions International Foundation, the New York and Bermuda Lions Foundation, and Lions Clubs in both District 20Y2 and other Districts. These amounted to over $13,000. Members helped to distribute this assistance to persons directly impacted by the floods. The club worked with Schoharie County Office for the Aging to identify and assist vulnerable residents. The Club served to direct outside organizations and other Lions club members to active groups working in the community. The Galway Lions Club delivered a trailer load of supplies to the Schoharie County Community Action Program (SCCAP) at Cobleskill , which was the lead coordinating agency following the disaster. They also delivered clothing, beds and furniture to the Richie Rich Store in Richmondville, which distributed used items to anyone in need at no charge.

Over $8,000 worth of supplies and gift cards was provided in this way as well as volunteer labor. The Lions Club donated $1500 to the Schoharie Area Long Term Recovery (SALT) organization. Some Club members also volunteered to work with SALT on the rebuilding work in the community.

Gallupville Bottle Recycling and Salvation Army Collection Bin.

In 2004-05 the Lions and the town collaborated to replace the old recycling building, which is used by both the town and the Lions. The Lions worked on the construction with local contractors and students from BOCES, installed lighting and painted the building. The building serves as the site of the Lions recycling operation for deposit cans and bottles, their main fundraiser, and houses the Salvation Army clothing bin and is used for storage for some the Lions hospital loan-out equipment.

The Lions Club uses the Schoharie County ARC organization to process the containers for redemption of the New York state container fees. This benefits both groups.

Pumpkin Raising Project with ARC Participation.

Starting in 2013, some club members have planted a crop of Halloween pumpkins on their property. These are harvested with the assistance of clients of the Schoharie County ARC. A number of sales outlets for the crop have been set up and are supplied. Other sales outlets at the ARC and elsewhere are used to complete disposal of the crop. The net income from the sale is divided between the Club and the Schoharie County ARC.

The Lions Club Supports the Following Organizations

Lions Clubs International Foundation (Melvyn Jones Fellowships)

New York State and Bermuda Lions Foundation

Lions Eye Institute at Albany

Guiding Eyes for the Blind

Leader Dogs for the Blind

Freedom Guide Dog

Lions Eye Bank

Lions Hearing Conservation Society

Diabetes Awareness

Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York

Lions Camp Badger - Empire State Special Needs Experience, Inc.

Schoharie Area Long Term Inc.

Capital Region NY2 Blue Star Mothers

Community Service Projects

Red Cross Blood Drive

Daughters of the American Revolution Schoharie Beautification Project

Halloween Party with Gallupville Volunteer Fire Department & Auxiliary

& Schoharie Central School’s FHA

Glaucoma Screening with Schoharie Central School’s FBLA

Collaborated with the Town of Wright to Purchase and Install a Signboard to Post Community Events

Open House at the Recycling Center in Gallupville

The Lions Provide Local Support

Food Pantries

Gallupville Volunteer Fire Department

Middleburgh Emergency Volunteer Ambulance Corps (M.E.V.A.C.)

Middleburgh & Schoharie Libraries

Middleburgh & Schoharie Village Pools

Schoharie County Christmas Bureau

Schoharie County Community Action Program (SCCAP)

Scho-Wright Ambulance

Vroman’s Nose Preservation Society

Purchased CPR Kits and Shelter Signs for the three Emergency Shelters

Sight & Hearing

Established the Jacob Simons Memorial Fund for Sight & Hearing, 2005

Recycling for Sight – Eyeglasses Collection

Sponsorship of Eye Exams & Glasses

Sponsorship of Audiologist Exams & Hearing Aids (in cooperation with the Lions District 20Y2 Hearing Conservation Society)

Organized Community Glaucoma Screenings

Dissemination of Educational Literature

Public Service Newspaper Articles

Youth

Established the Bill Hudson Memorial Fund for Youth Programs, 2007

Assist in Maintaining the Town Park’s Tennis & Basketball Courts

Annual Scholarship Awards

(Schoharie & Middleburgh High School Students)

Sponsored local students to attend HOBY Leadership Seminar

(Schoharie & Middleburgh High School Students)

Partnered with Schoharie Central School FHA & FBLA

Halloween Sight Night Eyeglasses Collection

NYS & Bermuda Youth Band

(Sponsored students from Middleburgh & Gilboa Schools)

Lions Peace Poster Contest

(Sponsored at Schoharie, Middleburgh & Gilboa Schools)

Sponsoring of Eye Exams and Glasses

Referrals to the Lions Eye Institute

Sponsoring of Audiologist Exams & Hearing Aids

Constructed Wheelchair Ramp for Girl