NEWS - Lions Clubs Australia

Lions Lap the Map for Diabetes 7 Times for World Diabetes Day

December 6, 2023/in HEALTH, NEWS, OUR STORIES /by Jemma

Lions across the country were on a mission to reduce the prevalence of diabetes and improve the quality of life for those diagnosed this World Diabetes Day.

Lions invited members of the public to join them in putting on their walking shoes with the aim to travel a combined distance that exceeded Australia’s circumference (25,760 km) by the 14th of November.

Lions Lap the Map for Diabetes - Lions Club of Bungendore and Districts

The Lions Club of Bungendore and Districts were joined by members of the RFS at their Lap the Map event. Image: Rob Lane

With that target being easily met early on by hard walking volunteers, Lions were quick to double their goal and lap the map twice.

By November 14, Lions had not only lapped the map twice, but reported a combined distance of more than 190,000 km – over 7 times the distance of Australia’s circumference!

Lions Lap the Map for Diabetes - Lyn Perera and Pat Mills

V5 District Governor Lyn Perera with National Diabetes Coordinator Pat Mills. Image: Brian Perera

National Diabetes Coordinator Pat Mills says Diabetes is a key focus for Lions and they would do what they can to help reduce the impact of the disease in their communities.

“Diabetes is a serious health issue affecting so many across Australia,” says Pat.

The Lions Club of Dalby had a huge turn out for their Lap the Map event.

“Across Australia, 1.3 million people have been diagnosed with Diabetes and 283 people are diagnosed every day. The disease can lead to serious health issues affecting the heart and blood vessels, eyes, kidneys, nerves and teeth.”

“In most high-income countries, Diabetes is a leading cause of cardiovascular disease, blindness, kidney failure, and lower limb amputation. It’s expected to affect 629 million adults by 2045.”

Members of the Valentine Lions Club at their Lap the Map event.

“Our Lions Lap the Map family friendly walks and campaigns in the community encourage people to get outside and have a walk to promote healthy lifestyle and raise awareness of the Diabetes epidemic in Australia.”

Congratulations to Pat and all other Clubs and volunteers who took part in Lions Lap the Map for Diabetes this year – a superb result for 2023!

You can see all the photos from participating Clubs on Facebook here.

P.S. Did we mention how on point the Lions branding looked at your Lap the Map events this year?

Click here to shop apparel, signage and other PR materials from our online shop ready for your next event in the new year now!

School is in session – International Peace Poster Contest

October 10, 2023/in NEWS, OUR STORIES, PEACE CONTEST /by Jemma

School is in session and our Lions clubs are ready to host their local Peace Poster contest for 2023-24!

For over three decades, Lions clubs around the globe have been sponsoring this very special art contest in schools and youth groups.

The theme for the 2023-24 International Peace Poster Contest competition is “Dare to Dream,” asking young people from around the world to show how they’ll turn their dream of a peaceful world into reality.

Chloe Hua was a Merit Award Winner in the 2022-23 Lions International Peace Poster Competition.

Student Chloe Hua was named the V5 District and National winner in the 2022 final, and a Merit Award winner at the Lions International Judging event held in February 2023 in Chicago, USA.

Chloe’s work was an outstanding artistic portrayal of the theme ‘Lead with Compassion’ and her Peace Poster message was immediately clear:

“A world of peace is a world where regardless of age, gender, race or size, everyone is united as a whole, in a limitless world; lead by empathy, compassion and acceptance”.

School presentation for Chloe Hua, Peace Poster Competition

Pictured L to R: Vermont SC Principal Tony Jacobs, South Vermont Lions Club President Syd Giller, LIPP Chair South Vermont LC Max White, LIPP Coordinator Katherine Parzis, and student Chloe Hua.

V5 District International Peace Poster Chair Katherine Parzis was honoured to attend Chloe’s school last month to present the International Peace Poster Award Certificate to her; and an International Peace Poster Appreciation Certificate to Principal Tony Jacobs.

Chloe Hua and Katherine Parzis - Peace Poster

Lion Katherine Parzis with International Peace Poster Merit Award Winner Chloe Hua and her mother.

“I congratulated Chloe with the National Multi District Peace Poster trophy engraved with her name, and I wished her very well with her studies and future endeavors with her proud mother at the Award presentation,” says Lion Katherine.

“I would not be able to continue the District Peace Poster Contest without the support of my Lions colleagues, and I look forward to this year’s Peace Poster Essay Youth program.”

For further information regarding Lions International Peace Poster Contest, click here.

To see all current Peace Poster Contest winners and their peace posters, click here.

Lions to celebrate special four-legged friends this month

April 5, 2023/in NEWS, OUR STORIES /by Jemma

Lions around the country will celebrate National Hearing Dog Day on the 19th of April 2023.

National Hearing Dog Day is an annual celebration of the very first Hearing Assistance Dog delivered in Australia in 1982. Over 40 years ago on this day, Hearing Dog ‘Amber’ was provided free of charge to a Deaf recipient living in metropolitan South Australia.

Since then, Australian Lions Hearing Dogs (ALHD) have provided over 670 Hearing Assistance Dogs to Australians who are deaf or hard of hearing, reaching from Albany in WA over to Far North Queensland.

National Hearing Dog Day is an opportunity to share stories of the Hearing Dogs that have changed and saved lives, the puppies that have received love and encouragement from ALHD volunteers, the Lions Clubs that make the logistics of each placement a reality, and the community of generous supporters that give with their heart and help ALHD provide Assistance Dogs to people in need.

One in six Australians are suffering from some form of hearing loss and this number is on the rise.

The work of Australian Lions Hearing Dogs is not only helping many Australians live a safer, more secure and confident lifestyle but it’s also giving the animals a new home and purpose. An Australian Lions Hearing Dog can be any shape or size and the majority of dogs are actually sourced from pounds, rescue organisations and shelters.

The cost of fully training a Lions Hearing Dog is just under $40,000.

Australian Lions Hearing Dogs CEO David Horne says there is growing demand for hearing dogs in the community.

“Since the 1980s, Australian Lions Hearing Dogs has been training and placing Hearing Assistance Dogs with deaf or hard of hearing people all around Australia. We are the only Australian organisation accredited by Assistance Dogs International to carry out such work. There is currently a very high demand for our dogs with one in six Australians now suffering from some form of hearing loss. Unfortunately, this number is on the rise,” says David.

“Australian Lions Hearing Dog is 100% funded by donations, accepting support from many Lions Clubs and individuals around Australia. The more funds raised, the more Assistance Dogs we can provide to Australians in need,” adds David.

To support the continuation and success of the Australian Lions Hearing Dogs, you can find a resource pack or purchase the National Hearing Dog Day shoelace pack online here or make a donation here.

International Peace Poster Contest Merit Award Winner 2022-23 Announced

February 7, 2023/in NEWS, OUR STORIES, PEACE CONTEST /by Jemma

District Peace Poster Coordinator Lion Katherine with winner Chloe and PID Lion Tony Benbow.

It is our great pleasure to announce that Australian student Chloe Hua has been chosen as a merit award winner in the 35^th Annual Lions International Peace Poster Contest.

The 13-year-old student from Vermont Secondary College in Melbourne’s East who was the Lions Club of South Vermont’s club winner, received the award after being judged the V5 district winner out of four outstanding Peace Poster entries.

Approximately 600,000 children from 60 countries participated in this year’s Peace Poster Contest. The posters were judged at the club, district and multiple district levels before reaching the international level, at which point they had been narrowed down to 120 posters.

Based on creativity, originality and portrayal of the theme “Lead with Compassion”, Chloe’s entry was chosen as one of just 23 merit award winners. As such, she will receive US$500 and a certificate of merit.

The 23 merit award winners are from Australia, Canada, China, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Macedonia, Malaysia, Tunisia and the United States (California, Louisiana, and New York). The grand prize winner will be announced at the Lions Day with the United Nations on March 3, 2023.

The message behind Chloe’s entry was, “a world of peace is a world where regardless of age, gender, race or size, everyone is united as a whole, in a limitless world; lead by empathy, compassion, and acceptance”.

Chloe’s peace poster entry – the theme was “Lead with Compassion”.

V5 Peace Poster Coordinator Katherine Parzis went to visit Vermont Secondary College and presented the District Peace Poster plaque engraved with Chloe’s name and school to Chloe and School Principal Tony Jacobs last year.

PID Lion Tony Benbow OAM, Chairman of our Australian Lions Foundation, represented his club, South Vermont Lions, at the presentation and congratulated Chloe on behalf of the club and shared words of encouragement for the International Peace Poster Judging event.

On behalf of Lions Australia, we would like to congratulate Chloe on her merit award as well as all of the other peace poster entrants – well done!

Australia’s largest service organisation is on a mission to reduce prevalence of Diabetes

December 13, 2022/in HEALTH, NEWS /by admin

To mark World Diabetes Day this year, Lions Clubs across Australia were on a mission to reduce the prevalence of diabetes and improve the quality of life for those diagnosed with their annual Lap the Map for Diabetes event.

Diabetes is one of the Lions’ key global focus areas with Lions members encouraging those in their community to stay active.

Lions volunteers across the country put on their walking shoes with the aim to have a combined distance travelled that exceeds Australia’s circumference (25,760 kms) by World Diabetes Day.

This year, Lions not only lapped the map once, but reported a combined distance of 261,704 kms, over 10 times the distance of Australia’s circumference.

Maroochy North Shore Lions host their Lap the Map for Diabetes event.

National Diabetes Coordinator Pat Mills says this is an incredible result for Diabetes awareness.

“The ‘Lions Lap the Map’ family friendly walks and campaigns in the community encourage people to get outside and have a walk to promote a healthy lifestyle and raise awareness of the Diabetes epidemic in Australia.”

“Across Australia 1.3 million people have been diagnosed with Diabetes and 283 people are diagnosed every day,” says Pat.

“The disease can lead to serious health issues affecting the heart and blood vessels, eyes, kidneys, nerves and teeth. In most high-income countries, Diabetes is a leading cause of cardiovascular disease, blindness, kidney failure, and lower limb amputation. It’s expected to affect 629 million adults by 2045.”

“With more people working from home and more communities living with tighter social restrictions since COVID-19, it’s more important than ever for Australians to stay active and healthy so we encourage people to get involved in our Lap the Map activities,” she adds.

See all the photos from Lap the Map for Diabetes 2022 on Facebook here.

International Peace Poster Contest Winner Presented with Award

July 12, 2022/in NEWS, OUR STORIES, PEACE CONTEST /by Jemma

The Booragoon Lions Club have presented National Lions Peace Poster Contest winner, Hannah Roberts, with her trophy and Lions International certificate of merit.

(L to R) Lion John Garrett (Peace Poster Chairman, Lions Club of Booragoon), Hannah Roberts and Fleur Cason from Applecross Senior High School.

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, it was only this week when Hannah and her family could visit the Club meeting to receive her international awards, certificates and other documents relating to her achievement.

Lion John Garrett, Booragoon Lions’ Peace Poster Chairman, also presented a Lions Community Service Award to the Arts Department of Applecross Senior High School in recognition of the School’s ongoing support for the Lions Peace Poster contest and the dedication and enthusiasm of art teachers Fleur Cason and Jo Sweetman.

This is the second consecutive year an art student from Applecross Senior High School and winner of the Booragoon Lions Club’s contest has been named Australia’s Peace Poster winner.

Hannah’s proud family – Gillian and Paul (mum and dad) and brother Liam.

In 2020-21, student Sora Hamamura was the national winner followed by Hannah in 2021-22, aged 13 years at the time.

Based on creativity, originality and portrayal of the theme “We Are All Connected”, Hannah’s entry was chosen as one of 23 merit award winners at the Chicago international judging from over 600,000 entries.

She received US$500 as an International certificate of merit winner and AUD$200 as the National Lions Australia winner.

The Peace Poster entry created by Hannah Roberts has been hailed as “amazing” by those who have seen it.

To be chosen as one of just 23 merit award winners from across the world is indeed a superb honour.

Congratulations Hannah!

Click here to see Hannah’s Peace Poster.

The Countdown is on – Lions Mini-Convention starts soon!

May 11, 2022/in NEWS, OUR STORIES /by Jemma

Hundreds of Lions volunteers and community leaders are travelling to Melbourne this week for Lions Australia’s 2022 National Convention which will celebrate the 75^th anniversary of Lions in Australia.

CEO Rob Oerlemans says the Convention is the perfect opportunity for volunteers from across the country to reconnect, reflect and be inspired.

“Lions Australia is celebrating its 75^th Anniversary this year and the theme of “always” being there for the community could not be more relevant.”

“75 years ago, the first Lions Club was formed in Lismore NSW. Today our Lismore Lions and their colleagues and friends from over 1100 Lions Clubs from throughout Australia are working on the recovery efforts for those Australians affected by the floods, while we continue to support those recovering from the Black Summer bushfires.”

“Our national convention is a great opportunity for our members and leaders to come together to celebrate, reflect and plan ahead for the future,” says Lions Australia CEO Rob Oerlemans.

Attendees will enjoy a panel discussion about inspiring community projects featuring great speakers including Mr. Jaswinder Singh of Sikh Volunteers Australia, Mr. Andrew Kelly – CEO of The Antarctic Science Foundation and Ms Cinnamon Evans, CEO of CERES, a world class social enterprise incorporating urban farming and sustainability education in Melbourne.

The National finals of the Lions Youth of the Year and Leo of the Year will be held and updates and presentations will be shared from other Lions foundations and major projects.

Interested in joining the convention but can’t attend this year? Click here to find out how you can join the Live Stream!

For more information on the Lions Australia National Convention visit https://lionsclubs.org.au/event/lions-australia-mini-convention-melbourne/

Lions International President Douglas X Alexander – The Australian Floods

March 19, 2022/in EMERGENCY RESPONSE, NEWS /by Rob Oerlermans

A message from Lions International President Douglas X Alexander regarding the floods in Australia

Haymes Paint stores and Lions Clubs host BBQ’s with a difference

March 10, 2022/in DONATIONS, EMERGENCY RESPONSE, NEWS, OUR STORIES /by Jemma

Lions has a longstanding reputation for hosting some of the country’s best sausage sizzles.

Haymes Paint customers across the country have been enjoying complimentary Lions BBQ’s recently as part of a national promotion that’s delivering much more than just sausage sizzles.

Last month Lions volunteers supported 56 Haymes Point stores across the country with a complimentary Sausage Sizzle and Bacon and Egg Rolls for all customers.

In addition to reimbursing Lions for all costs, Haymes has made a donation of $25,500 to the Australian Lions Foundation Disaster Relief Fund which provides Lions Clubs across Australia with the ability to quickly react in times of need.

ALF Grants Chairman Ken Hallam, DG Glenys Francis, Haymes Mngr, & Elermore Vale Lions at Haymes Paint store in Newcastle

From Cyclone Tracy in 1974 to the recent droughts, bushfires and horrific 2022 floods, Lions have always been amongst the first to roll up their sleeves and taken action.

Australian Lions Foundation Chairperson Tony Benbow OAM has thanked Haynes for its support.

“The Australian Lions Foundation wishes to thank Haymes Paint for their generous donation and support as well as all of the Lions volunteers who fired up the BBQ at their local Haymes Paint store. Lions is celebrating its 75 Year anniversary in Australia this year and we are so proud of the support we have provided to the community to date.”

“Every dollar donated to Australian Lions Foundation goes towards helping Lions Clubs support their communities in times of need and through Lions’ incredible network of over 1200 clubs you can be confident it’s distributed quickly and to those who need it most,” adds Tony Benbow.

ALF Grants Chairman Ken Hallam, DG Glenys Francis, Haymes Rep, & Warners Bay Lions at Haymes Paint store in Warners Bay

Over $4.6 million was raised and distributed in the Australian Lions Foundation National Bushfire Appeal. But the support from Lions did not stop there. Over the past two years, even through a health pandemic, Lions volunteers have continued to support those affected and are focusing on helping communities rebuild.

For any individuals or businesses looking to give back, the Australian Lions Foundation is a wonderful cause to support.

“We encourage any Australians looking to give back this year to consider donating to Australian Lions Foundation. You never know when you or your family might need assistance or when disaster might strike in your community but if it does Australian Lions Foundation and your local Lions club will do whatever we can to help,” adds Tony Benbow.

To support our volunteers on the ground who are helping with flood recovery, you can make a donation online here.

Donations over $2 are tax deductible.

MD 201 “Mini” Convention to go ahead in Melbourne 14-15 May

February 28, 2022/in NEWS /by Elise Murrell

It is with considerable pleasure that the Lions Australia National Council has endorsed a proposal to hold a Mini-Convention in Melbourne on the weekend of 14-15 May 2022. We are so excited to be able to get together!
We were all disappointed that we needed to cancel the Perth Convention due to uncertainty about interstate travel. Although it is not possible to convene a full Convention at short notice, the Council was keen to bring together Lions from around Australia for fun, fellowship and inspiration at a short weekend Convention.
This Convention will be about great keynote speakers, hospitality and experiencing some exciting and entertaining presentations including…

The National finals of our Leo of the Year competition with entertaining speeches from our talented and community-spirited young people.
The National finals of our Youth of the Year competition – always a highlight!
Remembrance Ceremony where we can pay our respects to those Lions who have left for higher service.
Celebrating our two big anniversaries! 60 years of Lions in Western Australia and 75 years of Lions in Australia.
The chance to enjoy fellowship and a few laughs with Lions with informal drinks following the Saturday program.
Experience the hospitality of Melbourne with your District colleagues for drinks and perhaps dinner on Saturday night.

More details of the program will be released in the coming weeks including our keynote speakers and officials.
This year, our Notices of Motion and the election of International Director candidates will be conducted remotely by online voting to ensure that travel restrictions do not affect our Lions ability to participate. Further details will be advised in the coming weeks.
The Venue
The Convention will be held in the Crown Conference Centre adjacent to the Crown Promenade Hotel, in the heart of the beautiful city of Melbourne. The venue is only a short ride from Melbourne Airport using the airport bus or by taxi, and for those drivers, the adjacent multi-level car park is very affordable at less than $20 per day.
For simplicity, when you register you can purchase vouchers for coffee and tea during the Convention, and there is a myriad of restaurants and cafés within a short walking distance for lunches.

Please note that Crown requires all attendees over the age of 16 years old who visit any Crown Premises in Australia are Fully Vaccinated.

It’s been a long year for all of us and it will be wonderful to catch up with all our Lions friends and celebrate our 75th Anniversary!
Stay tuned to our Newsletter, website and Facebook page for more information.
Looking forward to seeing you in Melbourne!