Lions reach the $ 3 milion donation mark and are looking higher!

Forty years ago, a group of Wimberley community leaders chartered our Lions Club to serve the community and support the worthy causes of Lions International.  They were asked to take over the community market day operation which was outgrowing the capacity of the Wimberley square.  Individual Lions signed personal bank notes of $3,000 each to buy a patch of land that became the initial plat of Lions Field.  The first market day at the new field included the normal art, crafts, and produce.  It also included the sell of new cars and livestock from rabbits to horses.  


All of the profits from Market Day from the beginning have gone to donations and that total has reached 3 $million.  This is from just a just a few dollars in the beginning.  The nineteen eighties saw profits and donations average about $25,000 per year.  The last decade has seen donations in excess of $100,000 each year.  This money is donated to Lion programs such as blindness prevention, hurricane and tsunami relief, Texas Lions Camp for crippled and diabetic children, special EMS equipment, classroom technology, Katherine Ann Porter school equipment, soccer equipment, athletic field lights, and band instruments.  Major expenditures have been for the Nature Trail on Cypress Creek, Visitors Center, Wimberley Playors Playhouse,  the Community Center and restoration of the Winters House.  Each year Wimberley Lions give to Habitat for Humanity.  The fourth house they built was underwritten by Lions to the amount of 87% of the cost.


Two programs are pretty unique to Wimberley.  Our scholarships are mostly four year scholarships and 160 students have benefited from them.  The foreign exchange program has sent 80 students to foreign countries for several weeks living with a host family and about three weeks in a Lion camp with 30 kids from other countries.  These are life changing experiences.  


The Lions earn revenue at the Market Days by parking fees, booth rentals, concession stand sales, and premium Bar-B-Que.  The staffing requirements for Market Days exceeds 200 people.  The Lions club can not marshal that size staff.  A combination of volunteers, LEOS,  and members of organizations that often receive donations from the Lions Club make up the difference.  We could not do without the volunteers.


Tuesday, November 17, 2009 a celebration will occur at the Wimberley Community Center, 14068 Ranch Road 12 from 6:00 pm to 7:30pm.  All Lions, Ex Lions, donation recipients, and anyone with an interest are welcome.  All sorts of activity is planned along with refreshments.


Come join us for this celebration!