STAFFORD – The Stafford Township Lions Club celebrated seven decades of service with a 70th Anniversary Celebration at Sea Oaks Country Club on September 4. Among the many members in attendance was Stafford Mayor Gregory Myhre, who congratulated the club on its milestone and many accomplishments.
While Stafford Lions work on many projects, their priority is sight preservation in children. The club uses the SPOT camera by Welch Allyn to detect six different vision problems. Stafford Lions serves seven local pre-schools and now screen over 30 public and private schools from Waretown south to Bass River. From 2018-2019, they screened over 3,000 students.
Stafford Lions also provide free eye exams and glasses where there is a financial need.
In addition to this, club members volunteer in Special Olympics and Hearts of Mercy in Barnegat, providing three CCTV magnifiers, on loan, to aid recipients with reading and everyday writing needs. They also volunteer at local nursing homes regularly.
The “Welcome to Stafford” sign signaling your entry into the township has also been maintained by the Lions for nearly two decades. The Lions are also responsible for the decals for the five other service organizations: Loyal Order of Moose, Lodge 1575, Rotary, Kiwanis, Knights of Columbus, and American Legion.
The Lions Club is not only for adults, either. Students from the Southern Regional School system can join the Leo Club and participate in many of the Lions Clubs International activities and community projects. Over 80 middle school students have already joined.
In order to continue to service the community, the Lions hold two major fundraisers throughout the year, White Cane and Food and Fun. White Cane is a main source of funds for the club, running May through October on certain weekends at Wal-Mart and Bageleddi’s on LBI. Food and Fun is held at the Eagleswood Inn and raises funds for childhood cancer research.
If you wish to contribute to the Lions’ main project, you can drop off donations of used glasses, cell phones and hearing aids to locations detailed on the club’s website: sites.google.com/site/staffordtownshiplionsclub/.
The Lions Club of Stafford Township invites new members from Lacey to Little Egg Harbor to meetings every first Wednesday of the month at 7 p.m. at the Eagleswood Inn, in West Creek. Visit facebook.com/stlcnj for information.
