Garwin Lions Club member Abe Dieleman pictured with a stack of pancakes during the July 2, 2022 breakfast fundraiser which served 101 people, enabling the Lions to make a $500 donation to the Garwin Fire Dept.’s building fund. PHOTO COURTESY OF GARWIN LIONS CLUB/FACEBOOK

GARWIN – The Garwin Lions Club’s past fiscal year proved to be a busy one with the community group hosting four fundraisers, participating in eight community projects, and disbursing $3,110 in donations to the local community and other organizations.

The Lions are particularly proud to have participated in GMG’s application for a Lion’s Quest grant. As a result of the grant application, GMG received $7,575 – the first Quest grant awarded in the state of Iowa. The Lions Quest program provides young people and their educators with tools to make positive choices, resist drugs and alcohol, learn through service and become healthy young men and women.

Fundraisers the Lions hosted this past fiscal year include the July 2, 2022 Breakfast, the Election Day Soup Supper, and two Fish Frys.

Activities the Lions undertook this past fiscal year include KidSight screenings at GMG, South Tama and Meskwaki Settlement, picnic table refurbishing, park grill cleaning and grate replacement, a tree planting in Garwin Park, Gamble Park weeding, town sign repair, and the installation of concrete trash receptacles in the park.

Donations were made by the Garwin Lions Club this past fiscal year to the following organizations and causes: Wall That Heals, Garwin Fire Department, Iowa Lions Foundation, Lions Club International Foundation, Garwin Lions GMG HS Scholarship, Northeast Iowa Food Bank, Camp Courageous, GMG After-Prom, Camp Hertko Hollow (diabetes), GMG Donkey Basketball, Garwin town sign repair, Garwin Little League, and Garwin Scout Troop 394.

Current Garwin Lions Club members include Curt Bacon, Keith Barloon, Matt Deam, Abe Dieleman, Leland Frahm, Jaimie Gargas, Ron Groth, Jim Hlas, Matt Jackson, Willie Karsjen, Alan Kouba, Kenny Mayo, Mark Polich, Mike Richardson, Jim Sandquist, Ron Smith, and Leroy Thomsen.

The Garwin Lions Club always welcomes new members. Those interested in belonging to a group dedicated to serving the community are asked to attend an upcoming meeting to learn more. The group meets the second Thursday of each month, beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the Community Center.