CAZENOVIA — Leading up to the holiday season, Cazenovia Lions Club (CLC) members have been working hard to further the organization’s mission of serving the Cazenovia community.
On Nov. 23, Lion Deb Amidon helped assemble Christmas lights for the Village of Cazenovia tree.
According to CLC Vice President Marjorie Wason Tormey, volunteers were requested through a post on the CazLife website, and Amidon answered the call.
The tree will be lit during the 47th Annual Cazenovia Christmas Walk on Dec. 6. CLC secretary and long-time member Fred Agerter is one of the event’s key coordinators.
On Nov. 18 and 25, Amidon and fellow Lions Paul Amidon and Cindy Hirt helped prepare and administer vision screenings for Burton Street Elementary School students.
CLC President Mike Basla joined the team of volunteers at the school on Nov. 25.
“[They worked] alongside Renee Fuller, the nurse at Burton Street Elementary School, screening Pre-K, kindergarten, second graders, and fourth graders, all with parent permission,” said Tormey. “Cazenovia Lions Club is involved with vision screenings [because] one of the missions of Lions Club International [is] to provide vision support for youth.”
According to Tormey, the CLC collected over 700 pairs of used eyeglasses this year through its eyeglass recycling efforts.
Lions Club annual projects
CLC was chartered on April 17, 1969, and is one of over 49,000 Lions clubs worldwide.
“Our members are very different in many ways, but we share a core belief [that] our community is what we make it,” the CLC website states. “That’s because we help where help is needed. In short, We Serve.”
Each year, the club sponsors the July Fourth fireworks launched from the southern shore of Cazenovia Lake. The display is 100 percent community funded.
The CLC also organizes the Cazenovia Easter Egg Hunt. In preparation, approximately 2,500 eggs are hand-colored and distributed throughout Lakeland Park. Free doughnuts, hot chocolate, and coffee are provided at the event, and prizes are awarded for finding gold and silver eggs.
The Lions’ Memorial Day Duck Race is held on Chittenango Creek following the Memorial Day Parade. Hundreds of multi-colored, numbered ducks “swim” from the Scouts BSA Troop 18 Lodge on Riverside Drive to the finish line at the Route 20 bridge by the Red Apple. Proceeds help fund scholarships for college-bound Cazenovia High School seniors.
The club also recognizes Cazenovia High School students through its Student of the Month program. Awards are presented to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to their community.
Additionally, the club donates annually to the high school’s Friends of Rachel’s Challenge club. Rachel’s Challenge is a suicide, bullying, and school violence prevention program.
On Father’s Day weekend, the Lions present a “Ride for Sight” motorcycle benefit day ride from Cazenovia to a designated nearby restaurant. Proceeds go towards the club’s sight-related programs.
The 32-member CLC meets at the Brewster Inn on the first Thursday of the month at 7 p.m.
“I became involved with the Caz Lions Club 14 years ago through the LEO program, a youth version of the Lions Club,” said Tormey. “[It] was operating at the time in the Cazenovia High School, [and] one of my sons was asked to be the treasurer of the club. George Williams, a neighbor and friend, sponsored me. Best decision I made.”
To learn more about the club’s activities and how to join, visit e-clubhouse.org/sites/cazenovia/index.php or the “Cazenovia Lions Club” Facebook page.
