By JESSE GRAHAM
COMMUNITY members gathered last week as the Lions Club of Healesville held its annual changeover meeting, donating tens of thousands of dollars to different groups.
The meeting was held at the Yarra Valley Racing Centre in Yarra Glen on Wednesday 15 July, and almost 100 residents and community group representatives gathered to hear about the club’s fund-raising over the past year.
Member, Elaine dossor, told the Mail that the event was a “wonderful night”, with $28,300 handed out to various organisations.
Preschools and primary schools around Healesville and Yarra Glen, and Healesville High School all received $1000 in donations – as did fire brigades from Badger Creek, Dixons Creek, Healesville, Toolangi and Yarra Glen, and the Healesville SES.
Healesville Interchurch Community Care Incorporated (HICCI), Melba Support Services, Healesville’s First Scout Group and Badger Creek Men’s Shed all received $1000, while groups such as Yarra Valley Community Health, Healesville Indigenous Community Services Association (HICSA), Guides Yarra Glen and Golden Wattle received $500 each.
Guides Healesville received $300, while the club donated $1000 to the Australian Lions Children’s Mobility Foundation and Australian Lions Foundation.
The club noted that, due to there being less money to disburse than in previous years, more money was being allocated to the community of Healesville and its surrounds, rather than to Lions-specific projects.
James D. Richardson Awards were then handed out to Healesville SES’s Geoff Wilkinson and Healesville CFA Captain Graeme Bates – both for their work in servicing the community through their respective organisations.
The night was also the official start for the club’s new president, Lesley Grigg.
Ms Dossor said the night was to celebrate the efforts of Lions members and the fund-raising that supports projects in the community.
“It’s a night of presenting to the community money that we’ve raised here (at the Lion’s Den Op-Shop) – and it goes back into the community,” she said.
“That’s what it’s all about.”
She said the shop was one of the main fund-raisers for the club, but said that selling Christmas cakes, lucky envelopes during race season and mints all contributed to the total.
This year’s event marks the 54th year of the Lions Club of Healesville.
