News
Summit Lions Fifth Annual Kentucky Derby Fundraiser and raffle was another success! Over 75 attended this well awaited fundraiser at Delicious Heights in Berkeley Heights NJ. We were able to raise close to $9000.00 to use toward our Sight and Welfare projects throughout the year!
President Fred Cuozzo congratulates winners at the 50/50 Derby Raffle
REALLY BUSY DAY working on Vision Screening on the Lions Eyemobile Unit. We screened about 65 people between two locations - one in New Providence and one in Summit. A joint collaboration between New Providence and Summit Lions Clubs as well as New Eyes which provided new prescription glasses for those who tested for referral. What a great joint effort between these three non-profits. Approximately 45 people will receive new prescription glasses free of charge!!!!
The Summit Lions held a Shopping Bazaar for GRACE families tonight. Every item, offered for free to families, was generously donated by another family in our community. I am happy to say that EVERY item has found a new home! The thanks You’s and God Bless You’s were frequent and heartfelt. We live in such an amazing community!
Enjoy the short video of when we were set up and ready to open doors. It was so busy during the event that there was no time to stop and take pictures.
Lions in service. Special shout out to fellow volunteers Frederick Cuozzo, Peter L. Twill, Peter Loeser, Mary Cafaro Loeser, Sue Fieseler, and to Amy, Linda Barnes and Maureen Carroll
Summit Lions Fifth Annual Rise Against Hunger Meal packaging event. The event was held at the Summit Community Programs Center on Morris Avenue. 100 volunteers packaged 21,000 meals!!!!
Feed to Give Fundraiser Amazes Local Lions
The Feed to Give-Lions fundraiser in Summit on Saturday, September 12th, produced an amazing outcome: almost 4,000 pounds of free chicken was distributed to local families or delivered to local foodbanks as a direct result of Saturday’s sale. Two Lions Clubs, Summit and New Providence, worked together with nonprofit Feed to Give to sell high-quality, low-priced chicken to benefit local families and the two clubs’ community support efforts.
The Lions Club of Summit got the ball rolling with a donation of $1,000 toward chicken purchases. Feed to Give managed to turn that donation into more than 3,000 pounds of chicken, much of which went to local foodbanks. Donations also poured in from local families. That meant hundreds of pounds of free chicken were picked up on Saturday and delivered straight to freezers and fridges of appreciative families right here in our communities. This generous act was accomplished by the team at the Community Service Association of New Providence and volunteers with the YMCA in Summit. Lions Club members from both clubs promoted the sale and then came on Saturday to provide traffic control and help to keep the sale pick up processefficient. Cars moved through the line in only a few minutes.
“The outpouring of donations was really heartwarming,” said Summit Lions President, Janet Russell. “We had orders for more chicken than we have ever had donated in just a few days,” said Tom Montrone, New Providence Lions President. “Our partnership with Feed to Give has created a huge boost for local families. We are so grateful for their leadership in this effort.”
Lawson Foods, through Feed to Give, also donated all the profits from the sale of the chicken to the local Lions Clubs. This sale that donation amounts to over $1,200 to the two clubs.
The idea of re-routing chicken from restaurant supply pipelines into local families’ fridges started with one high school student asking good questions. Carys Law, the high school student, was in a great position to ask. Her dad, Simon Law, is a partner in Lawson Foods, a wholesale food distributor. Carys had read that people were having trouble making ends meet, and that food banks were struggling to find food. The meat supply chain was unsettled due to the pandemic. Restaurants were not buying, and grocery stores were having trouble keeping cases full. Carys came up with the idea of a direct sale to people in the towns surrounding hers, Basking Ridge, with profits going to local nonprofits supporting families in need, and local foodbanks. So Feed to Give was born.
Now Feed to Give conducts chicken sales frequently in local towns. The group has raised more than $35,000 to benefit local nonprofits and given thousands of pounds of chicken to local foodbanks.
THE Summit Lions Club held its first Ice Cream Social on Tuesday, August 11 in coordination with a food distribution event held by GRACE at Memorial Field in Summit. Over 200 ice cream sandwiches and pops were enjoyed by local families and kids on a very hot day! Just one of the many ways that the Summit Lions Club supports our community
The Summit Lions Club Board of Directors approved a one-time $3,000 allocation from our Endowment Fund to help needy local residents during this pandemic crisis. The GRACE program purchases food and household supplies (like toilet paper, cleaning supplies, and toiletries) for more than 175 local households.
GRACE stands for Giving and Receiving Assistance for Our Community’s Essentials and is operated out of the Junior League of Summit in collaboration with Christ Church.
LIONS HOLD FIRST ICE CREAM SOCIAL ON TUESDAY, AUGUST 11
The Summit Lions Club held an Ice Cream Social at Memorial Field in Summit to coincide with the Food Distribution Event by GRACE. Approximately 200 ice cream pops and bars were served up on a hot August 11!!! Kids and families alike certainly enjoyed the free treat Just one of the many ways that the Summit Lions works within the community to give others support.
It was a wonderful collaboration between Rise for Hunger, Summit Lions, Togetherhood/Summit Area YMCA, Central Presbyterian Church and over 125 members of the community, young and old. Members of the New Providence and District 16 Lion’s Clubs were also there in support of the Summit Lions Club. Lion’s mission is to serve the blind as well as to address hunger and homelessness issues.
Photo: Lion John Schweska assists in packaging boxes with volunteers.
It’s Great to Be a LION!
