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Central Alberta Lions Clubs celebrates 80 years in the community

A brief history of the charitable work of the Lions since 1938
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On June 2, the Innisfail, Lacombe and Red Deer Central Lions Clubs gathered for a celebratory luncheon at the Pidherney Centre in Red Deer.

In June 1938, The Edmonton Host Lions chartered the Lacombe club. Subsequently, that same year. the Lacombe Lions chartered the Red Deer Central club in October of 1938 and the Innisfail club in November of 1938.

The Early Days

In 1932 Colonel James Woods acquired 105 acres of land adjoining the south shore of Sylvan Lake.

He was later appointed Provincial Scout Commissioner of Alberta and decided to generously donate the parcel of land to the scout movement.

Thus, the name Camp Woods, and in 1938 Red Deer Lions became involved in the support of Camp Woods and over the years have contributed thousands of dollars to Scouts. In 2013 Camp Woods hosted a Scout Jamboree with 6,000 scouts attending and the Red Deer Lions provided to funds to ensure its success.

Starting in 1938, Lacombe Lions helped with construction of new tennis courts, sweaters for two hockey teams, milk distribution to school children and improvements to a children’s playground.

After the war years, the Lions made donations to the original Memorial Centre, bleachers for the Sports Park, high school scholarships, food hampers to the needy and the school Safety Patrol program run by the RCMP.

The Middle Years

In 1950, the Lacombe Lions began the very successful Lacombe Lions Ball Tournament which ran for the next 39 years.

Every summer teams would come to Lacombe from all over North America with some future major league players gaining valuable experience in the Lacombe community.

Former Expos star Tim Wallach played one year and long-time organizer Bill Douglas once estimated as many as 40 men who played in the tournament made it to the “Big Time.” The tournament received tremendous media coverage and scouts from many major league teams were in attendance.

The 1960 iteration was hailed as the most covered event in the Alberta sporting landscape, with 5 daily newspapers, 3 TV stations, 9 radio stations and 6 weeklies reporting the action.

The Lions Campground was a Canadian Centennial project for the Red Deer club. The Lions partnered with the city to find a spot on the north side of the river and the first phase for tenting took place July 1, 1967. Since then the site has expanded to 98 full service sites and 39 tenting sites. The city has taken over the operation and maintenance of the Campground. It is now considered one of the best urban camp grounds.

The Innisfail Lions started on Raspberry Park (Lions park) in the late 80’s with a playground equipment and picnic shelter. Innisfail Lions has been operating and managing the Town of Innisfail Campground for many years.

The Red Deer Speedskating club suffered some tough times in the early years, but once the Red Deer Lions club became one of the main sponsors, the club thrived and produced some the world’s top speed skaters.

The Lions fund the facilities at the Golden Circle and nearby speedskating oval and the club is now called the Red Deer Lions Speedskating Club. Lions members also volunteer to do timing of events twice a year both outdoor and indoor.

For many years the Lacombe Community Bus played a major role in the lives of many seniors, hockey players, band members, football players and other town residents who enjoyed a night at the races or the theater. The original Greyhound bus was purchased for $25,000 by the Lions and was driven for approximately 20 years before a “new” bus was purchased for $107,000 and was paid off in one year.

Thanks to many outstanding volunteers over the years who acted as drivers and mechanics, the bus was a much appreciated means of transportation for many Lacombe citizens.

The Community Vision Centre of Excellence in Montego Bay, Jamaica was a dream that began with some members of Lions International. Since 1980, Canadian Vision Lions of Jamaica and Lions of Red Deer Central Lions have been working together once or twice a year to provide eye clinics for those could not afford eye care. In January of 2018, a permanent clinic in Montego Bay was opened.

Lions from Red Deer Central have been involved in funding this project for years, and in 2017 took on extra service work to help pack a sea container of donated equipment locally with over 20 Lions helping out. Then various members travelled to Jamaica to help commission the clinic. This sustainable project will benefit the local community by providing for improved access, efficiency and quality of vision care.

With a commitment from the partners engaged in the project and the current availability of space, it addresses the needs of the community. The joint efforts and knowledge exchange of local and international practitioners and volunteers coupled with a focus on providing eye care education will ensure the Community Vision Centre is firmly established as a Centre of Excellence serving the community. Thanks to all the Lions who helped.

The Lions Community Band was established in 1968 by the Lacombe Lions and to this day has provided countless hours of entertainment to many. In the 1970’s the band was recognized a s the top community band in the Red Deer Music Festival.

With their side group called the Community Jazz Band, they have continued to “keep toes tapping” wherever they travel.

Recent Years

Innisfail Lions have participated in the Lions International Eyeglass Project, which is a project to collect used eye glasses. The glasses are sorted, cleaned, measured and packaged in Calgary and then shipped to various countries to help improve the vision of those who may not otherwise have the benefit of good vision.

The club conducts a highway cleanup, provides scholarships for Junior and Senior High School students, helped the Central Alberta Regional Science fair and have held free Bar B Q’s at Dodds Lake Manor, Poplar Grove Court and Autumn Glen Lodge.

Red Deer Lions were challenged by the Regional Hospital Centre to fund a pool for aquatic therapy. The Lions funded the first pool of its kind in central Alberta in the early 1980’s raising over $80,000. Red Deer Regional Hospital continued to grow and the need for a new pool became vital with hospital expansion in 2005.

Once again, the Red Deer Central Lions Club raised $80,000 for the construction of a new pool in an expanded and relocated rehab department. Serving both inpatients and out patients, the pool is utilized by Rehabilitation specialists, including Physical Therapists, Occupational therapists and Recreational Therapists. Annually more than 1500 patients from across central Alberta access the hydrotherapy pool.

The Lacombe Memorial Centre has always been a major source of pride for the Lacombe Lions Club. From the very beginning, the Lions fundraised diligently to help construct the Centre and the Arena. The original building was built bit by bit as funds came in and the building also included a bowling alley and Library for the town. Unfortunately disaster struck when the building burnt down but, once again, the Lions came forth with more fundraising and were considered instrumental in helping build the new Memorial Centre in the 1950’s. Due to its age, the Centre was massively renovated in 2005 and now we have the beautiful new Lacombe Memorial Centre for community events to which the Lions have again made a major financial contribution to equip the two bars at the centre.

Lions Centennial and Canada’s 150th Birthday In 2017-18, The International Lions Clubs celebrated 100 years of service around the world and Canadian Lions clubs also celebrated 150 years since Canada became a country in 1867.

Innisfail, Lacombe and Red Deer Central Lions clubs each had a project to commemorate these anniversaries.

In Innisfail, in addition to the large toboggan hill added to Rasberry Park in 2015, 2017’s centennial project saw a zip cruze added to the park.

Lacombe’s project, in partnership with the City of Lacombe, was the installation of a fountain in Cranna Lake. A large rock on the shore of Cranna Lake has a plaque designating this project as the Lacombe Lions Fountain.

The Red Deer Lions centennial project addresses one of the goals of the International Lions organization, support to our youth. The past two indoor seasons saw thousands of Central Alberta soccer, lacrosse and rugby players benefit from a new state-of-the-art artificial turf field at Red Deer’s Westerner Park.

The Red Deer Central Lions Club stepped up to the plate and donated 50-thousand dollars to the Red Deer City Soccer Association to be the title sponsor of the new pitch at the Westerner Agricentre. Along with an older field at the same site, this community now boasts the biggest no-boarded soccer fields in the Province.

Each of the fields at Westerner Park is 32 metres by 63 metres (108 by 210 feet) . In all, somewhere around 4,000 soccer players are taking advantage of Red Deer`s top-notch indoor fields along with Youth Rugby, Lacrosse and Ball teams.

The Lions Club Log has been permanently and prominently displayed at centre field. Both fields have been fittingly named after the Lions Club. The Red Deer Central Lions Club is truly a champion of soccer and sport in Red Deer.

On behalf of the Red Deer City Soccer Association, including players, coaches and parents — “hats off to their club” said their President. “Our primary goal has always been to keep our programs affordable for youth in Red Deer.”

-Submitted by the Lacombe Lions