Lions Provide Face Masks

sending face masks to our Lions visually impaired clients in this Corona pandemic

Jamestown Lion Laurie Marucci spearheaded a project to sew and send face masks to our Lions visually impaired clients in this Corona pandemic. Helping her in this effort, either by sewing or mailing, were Lion Lori Johnson, Lion Karan Murray, and Lion Cathy Cimo.

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Jamestown Lions Club Donates Bike Racks For Riverwalk

For those riding bicycles along the Greater Jamestown Riverwalk, there are four new spots to park your bike.

On Wednesday, city and Jamestown Lions International officials gathered at Panzarella Island near the Jamestown Board of Public Utilities to host a ribbon cutting ceremony by one of the four new bike racks that are along the Riverwalk.

Don and Diane Nelson, Jamestown Lions International board members; Chuck Telford, Jamestown Lions International secretary, and Steve Maggio, Jamestown Lions International president; joined Sam Teresi, Jamestown mayor; Jeff Lehman, city public works director; and John Williams, city parks manager; for the ribbon cutting ceremony.

Maggio said the donation is part of a Jamestown Lions International legacy project. He said along with the one at Panzarella Island, one is located at McCrea Point Park, another by the Jamestown Cycle Shop on the south shore of the Chadakoin River and the other is along the Riverwalk’s north shore of the Chadakoin River.

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Celebrating Milestone Birthdays in 2017

“What if people put their talents to work improving their communities?” This was the question Lions Club Founder Melvin Jones asked and later became the foundation of the first Lions Club 100 years ago in 1917.

Five years later, 57 business and community leaders answered that question in Jamestown and formed one of the oldest continuous Lions Clubs in the country, the Jamestown Lions Club.

For 95 years now the Jamestown Lions Club has been serving Jamestown and the surrounding Chautauqua County region.

One of the most important programs the Jamestown Lions Club supports is the Lions See Program, whereby early school age children are screened by the Chautauqua Blind Association staff and trained Lions members for vision disorders. Last fall, out of 269 screenings, 59 children were referred for further eye exams. Hopefully, early detection will prevent future vision issues.

By honoring the Lions Club mission of assisting the blind and deaf, the Jamestown Club provides financial assistance to qualifying applicants needing eye exams, eyeglasses or hearing aids.

Some community activities the Jamestown Lions Club include:

  • Hosting a joint picnic with the MS Society for clients of both organizations
  • Hosting Christmas dinner and gifts for the blinds
  • Fruit Baskets at Thanksgiving and Easter for the blind
  • Treating a group of Randolph Children’s Home students to a night at the Gerry Rodeo
  • Collecting used eyeglasses at area collection centers, to be analyzed, graded and dispersed to people in thirds world countries
  • Providing eye specialists to determine need and fit for eyeglasses
  • Donation of money toward the Veteran’s Park on West Third Street, Grave Makers in Soldiers’ Circle of the Lakeview Cemetery, and Playgrounds at Bergman Park

The Jamestown Lions Club is one of the oldest and longest running sponsors of Youth Baseball in Jamestown. In addition, the Jamestown Lions Club built and maintained a building at the Safety Village in Ashville.

Though all of our project are community endeavors, on of our protest moments was when were able to provide an up-to-date reading machine, the ABiSee machine, to an area college student. The machine, an 8-1/2×11  inch computer holds books, papers and newspapers that are read back to the person.

To commemorate our 95th Birthday Anniversary, the Jamestown Lions Club will provide 3 bike racks along the Chadakoin Riverwalk Trail.

Various community fundraisers, such as our White Cane Collection Days, Father’s Day candy & nut sale and more, help us do what we do.

An appeal has been made to area businesses and professionals to support the Jamestown Lions Club through membership, cash donation, or both. Memberships are always open to any civic-minded community person with a heart for helping others. The Jamestown Lions Club meets twice a month. Going fees are waived for the remainder of 2017.

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White Cane Sale

In honor of White Cane Day coming up on October 15th the Jamestown Lions Club will be holding its annual White Cane Sale at Walmart on Friday September 30 from 9am to 8pm. Look for a local Lions Club Member to donate to a worthy cause.

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White Cane Sale

Friday, August 7th 2015

Please stop by Walmart to support our annual White Cane Sale.

History

In 1921, James Biggs, a photographer from Bristol, England, became blind following an accident. Because he was feeling uncomfortable with the amount of traffic around his home, he painted his walking stick white to be more easily visible.

In 1930, Lion George A. Bonham, President of the Peoria Lions Club (Illinois) introduced the idea of using the white cane with a red band as a means of assisting the blind in independent mobility. The Peoria Lions approved the idea, white canes were made and distributed, and the Peoria City Council adopted an ordinance giving the bearers the right-of-way to cross the street. News of the club’s activity spread quickly to other Lions clubs throughout the United States, and their visually handicapped friends experimented with the white canes. Overwhelming acceptance of the white cane idea by the blind and sighted alike quickly gave cane users a unique method of identifying their special need for travel consideration among their sighted counterparts.

Also in 1931, in France, Guilly d’Herbemont recognized the danger to blind people in traffic and launched a national “white stick movement” for blind people. She donated 5,000 white canes to people in Paris.

Today white cane laws are on the books of every state in the US and in a few other countries, providing persons who are blind a legal status in traffic. The white cane universally acknowledges that the bearer is blind. For specific information contact your local government office for motor vehicles.

Lions and International White Cane Safety Day

International White Cane Safety Day is an opportunity to increase awareness about the white cane,

which:

  • Signifies that the pedestrian using it is blind or visually impaired;
  • Alerts motorists of the need to exercise special caution and provide the user the right of

    way;

  • Symbolizes the independence, confidence and skills of the person who is using it.

    1964: the U.S. Congress approved a resolution authorizing the President of the US to annually issue a proclamation designating October 15th* as “National White Cane Safety Day.”

    1969: the International Federation of the Blind adopted October 15th* as “International White Cane

    Safety Day.”

* The above referenced date is a suggested date. Lions clubs are free to hold awareness events according to the schedule of the club and the community it serves.

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