The Minnedosa Lions Club: A Legacy of Service and Community Impact

NACTV recently had the opportunity to sit down with the Minnedosa Lions Club, one of the most dedicated and active chapters in the area. During the interview, representatives from the club shared insights into their ongoing community projects, their personal roles in these initiatives, and the many benefits of being an active member in a service-oriented organization.

Liway Cabrera – Local Journalism Initiative

Founded in 1917, Lions Clubs International is renowned for its efforts in fighting blindness. However, the organization’s commitment to service extends far beyond this initiative. Lions Clubs worldwide dedicate their time and resources to a wide variety of community projects. The Minnedosa Lions Club is one of the most active service clubs in the area. With a long history of giving back, the club is continuously involved in numerous community initiatives, making a lasting impact on the lives of local residents.

Fundraising Activities of the Minnedosa Lions Club

Margaret McLenehan, an active member, shared some of the fundraising initiatives organized by the group. One of their regular events is the pancake breakfast, held every August during the Minnedosa FunFest. The funds raised through this event go toward supporting various scholarships and bursaries for local students. They also run a program called Club 200, where they sell tickets to raise money for additional community projects.

Additionally, Margaret mentioned a specific fundraising effort for their Dog Guide Program, where they raise funds to support service dogs. The Minnedosa Lions Club has provided two service dogs in the community, all through this initiative.

Partnership with the School and the Food Bank

Lorna Hislop, Member of the Minnedosa Lions Club discussed their partnership with the Food Bank by running the breakfast program in the Minnedosa Elementary School. “We work with the schools and the food bank. They have a breakfast program that has been going on in schools to help out the youth. We all know that families struggle these days trying to feed their families and often times the children end up going to school hungry and statistics and research has shown that a young person can’t learn if their worried about if their belly’s rumbling and a whole bit. So our Lion’s Club has been helping the school program for a number of years and the last possibly three or four years we got involved through the food bank. We go in and make pancakes for the elementary school.” said Hislop.

Reading Program

Margaret McLenehan spoke passionately about the club's Reading Program, in which she is personally involved. As part of this initiative, Margaret together with other volunteers visit the local elementary school two to three times a week, where she works closely with students to foster a love for reading. Each visit, the group heads to the school library, where they read books together, giving students the opportunity to explore new stories and improve their reading skills.

STARS Program

McLenehan also mentioned that the STARS helicopter landed on their make shift landing pad which was made possible by the Minnedosa Lions Club.  
“What happened last February was one of our members came to the club, Michael Archbutt who couldn’t be here today.. brought to the club that he had found out that the STARS program was looking for a Helipad to land their helicopter for MedEvac from Minnedosa & Area and they couldn’t find one. So he brought it to the club if we have any idea where we can do this. So we happened to live..kind of an acreage with a huge hay field in front of it. No wires or anything around it and I suggested this hay field of all things which is kind of our front yard basically. Anyway, they came and looked at it, the pilot from STARS came and looked at it. It was run through FAA and approved. So now there’s a helipad in our hay field..in front of our house which got used at the beginning of January.

The MedEvac, they had a patient at the Minnedosa Hospital. So the STARS helicopter landed in this hayfield. Fire and Rescue came, the ambulance came.. they transported the team from the helicopter to the hospital and from the hospital back to the helicopter and then everybody helped the patient to load the helicopter back to St. Boniface hospital.” said McLenehan.  
 
The Minnedosa Lions Club’s volunteer efforts encompass a diverse range of projects designed to address pressing community needs. Whether it’s organizing charitable events, providing support to those in need, or contributing to the well-being of the local environment, the club remains a vital force for positive change.