Dog Guides Fundraising Walk

The Orleans Walk for Dog Guides on the 25th of May at the Roy Hobbs Community Centre in Orleans was a collaborative event by the Navan Lions, Cumberland Lions and Orleans Lions. Dog Guides is one of the most important charities run by the Lions. Funding supports dog training for Canine Vision, Hearing, Seizure Response, Service, Autism Assistance, Diabetes Alert and Facility Support.   Fully trained dogs are provided free to those in need. Not surprisingly demand is greater than supply so fund raising such as this is vital – and what better way to raise funds than to have a sponsored dog walk.  Fortunately, the temperature and weather were pleasant and the route along the riverbank, beautiful. There were several participants, and they really enjoyed themselves.  We generated over $6000 for the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides. 

But it costs approximately $35,000 to breed, raise, train, and match a single Dog Guide. This cost covers everything from the puppy’s initial care to the dog’s training and veterinary expenses.  So maybe you would consider participating in next year’s event – you would be most welcome to do so. 

You can learn more about the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides by visiting their website at: https://www.dogguides.com/ or you can still donate to the Orleans walk by visiting https://navanlions.ca/

Navan Lions Golf Tournament

The Navan Lions Club held its annual golf tournament on the 6th of June at the Pineview Golf Course.  This event is principally a fundraiser for Make-a-Wish Canada, an organization which grants wishes to children with serious or fatal illness. It sold out again this year, attracting 72 golfers and approximately 70 local sponsoring businesses, including Waste Connections of Canada as major sponsor.

The tournament was first organized in 2016 and, since then, Make-A-Wish Canada has been the primary beneficiary of our fundraising efforts.  $4,000 was awarded this year matching last year’s donation. Since we started in 2016 we have donated a total of $25,000 to this charity.

Make-A-Wish Canada granted 2,011 wishes last year. Since their founding in 1983, they have granted more than 40,000 wishes to Canadian children.  You can learn more about Make-A-Wish Canada by visiting their website at: https://makeawish.ca/about-us/why-we-are-essential/.

Music-In-The-Park Barbecue

The Navan Lions Club organized a barbecue for the NCA on the 4th of June under the Domes prior to the first Music-in-the-Park concert.  We estimate that 100 people were served hamburgers or hot dogs.  The event provided our club with an excellent opportunity to see old friends and meet new members from the community.  The donations that we received from the barbecue topped more than $600.  The club will consider carefully what to do with the money. However, a likely candidate is the Hannah Billings Fund.  This fund, managed by the Navan Lions Club, helps families with seriously ill children and recently awarded $1,000 locally. Awards and all communications are confidential. More information about the Hannah Billings Fund can be found on our website at: https://navanlions.ca/causes/

Join Us or Volunteer with Us

The Navan Lions are always prowling for new members who can help our club grow and offer new ideas.  If you are interested in learning more about Lionism and/or considering becoming a member, please visit our website at https://navanlions.ca/contact-us/ or email us at: navanlionsclub@gmail.com.

The Navan Lions will be reaching out to their community next month in search of volunteers willing and able to help us during the Navan Fair.  For the past several years, the Navan AutoPro, The New Oak Tree, The Physio Space as well as the Deavy family have trusted the Navan Lions with the use of their land/lots so that patrons coming to the Fair would have a place to park a reasonable distance from the main gates. Without the help of our community, our fundraising efforts during the Fair would not be possible.