Huddy Glubb World Dwarf Games with Lions Australia donation

Lions help 10-year-old Huddy Glubb get to World Dwarf Games in Germany

Lions have surprised Gold Coast local athletics star Huddy Glubb with a $5,000 donation at this year’s Lions National Convention held at The Star on the Gold Coast.

Huddy has achondroplasia, a genetic condition which impacts bone growth. Despite doctor’s early warnings that he probably wouldn’t be able to participate in sport, he has developed into an inspiring young athlete and recently qualified for the World Dwarf Games junior team competing this July in Germany.

Huddy Glubb World Dwarf Games with Lions Australia donation

Lions support Huddy Glubb as he takes aim at the World Dwarf Games in Germany.

Along with the donation from Lions Australia, Huddy’s local Oremeau Lions Club hosted a BBQ early on to help kickstart his fundraising to get him and his team to the games.

Huddy’s mother Kerry Glubb is incredibly proud of her son’s achievements so far, and of his determination that has motivated him to excel in the activities of track and field, basketball and soccer.

“When Huddy was born we were told that he probably wouldn’t be able to participate in sport. The day that he got his first gold medal, that was just — there were so many tears — it was such a special moment,” she said.

Kerry says they are so grateful for all the support received to date from the community.

“I’d like to thank everybody in the community for their support for Huddy so far, we’re already over halfway to reaching our fundraising goal!”

Huddy Glubb with Lions Australia

Huddy and his family joined Council Chair Steve Boyce and Lion Sari-Elle Kraemer on stage at the Lions Australia National Convention on the Gold Coast.

Huddy shared his heartwarming story with volunteers from right across the country at the Lions National Convention on the 29th of April, which you can watch here.

For more information on how you can support Huddy’s fundraising campaign to attend the World Dwarf Games, visit his GoFundMe page.

Adamstown Lions auctioning artworks for hope

BY EMILY WILLIAMS

Adamstown Lions Club is hosting an online art auction as a fundraiser to support Ukrainian refugees.

68 artworks created by artists from Newcastle and the Central Coast are up for grabs, with all money raised going towards LCIF’s Ukraine appeal.

Artwork by Eugenia Dunlevie.

Dr Carol Gano approached Adamstown Lions Club, amazed at their good work in the community, to ask if the Club would be interested in helping her run this auction. Carol has since become a member of the Club.

Artwork by Lesley Duffin.

Secretary Judy Mulhearn and Treasurer John Mulhearn have worked hard alongside Carol to get the auction up and running.

All artworks were generously donated by the artists, some more established than others, after the Club contacted art societies and individuals in the Newcastle area.

Artwork by Geoffrey Breen

State Leo of the Year, Georgia Bailey, also contributed a piece of art to the auction.

Since war broke out in Ukraine 14 months ago, LCIF has awarded more than $6.2 million to support refugees in Ukraine.

You can check out the artwork up for auction and start bidding here.

Lions Club Supports NSW Nurses with Scholarship

At their recent March dinner meeting, the Lions Club of West Pennant Hills Cherrybrook presented a Lions Nurses Scholarship for $1,500 to Nurse Anne Hoolahan on behalf of the NSW/ACT Lions Nurses Scholarship Foundation.

The grant will assist Anne’s attendance at the 2023 Psychogeriatic Association’s (IPA) international Congress being held in Lisbon. Portugal in June this year.

The mission of the NSW/ACT Lions Nurses Scholarship Foundation is to provide financial assistance for nurses to continue their professional development.

Clinical Nurse Consultant – Health & Wellbeing Specialist, Anne Hoolahan, being presented with her scholarship funds by NSF Director Graham Estreich and Lions Club of West Pennant Hills Cherrybrook Past President, Geoff Harrison.

Anne is a worthy recipient. She holds the position of Clinical Nurse Consultant – Health & Wellbeing Specialist working for Older Peoples Mental Health Services (OPMHS) team at Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital. Her clinical role is to provide in-home health and wellbeing reviews and support the GP and Case Manager in facilitating client focused health management.

She has been involved in the NSW state-wide project aimed at improving the physical health for older mental health consumers and has submitted an abstract for consideration for presentation at the forthcoming Lisbon conference.

Anne spoke to Lions members about her nursing career and where she has specialised and took the time to thank the Lions Nurses Scholarship Foundation for supporting her Congress attendance and all that will be learnt through this upcoming opportunity.

The Lions Nurses Scholarship Foundation was represented on the evening by NSF Director, Graham Estreich.

Lions come together to help Elmore Village

Original story by Lee Walkington

When the floods tore through Rochester late last year, 90% of houses were affected.

In the nearby town of Elmore, temporary housing was set up to shelter the hundreds of displaced families.

Lion Lee from District V6’s Disaster Recovery Support Team and PDG Norm visited the make-shift village in Elmore to find out how the District could help.

Lion Lee said seeing the bare paddocks with rows of caravans and cabins for the first time was confronting.

Elmore Village’s new BBQ area. Image: Supplied.

“The people moving into this accommodation had their immediate needs met – food, shelter and clothing; it was their mental well-being that was our first concern,” she said.

During one visit, Lion Lee and PDG Norm raised concerns about the mental health of the residents. Soon after, a plan was put together which included ideas for a community garden, playground and BBQ area. The Disaster Recovery Support Team then needed to raise funds to bring the ideas to life.

Lions Clubs from across the District stepped up to help. The Cohuna Leo Club donated $500 worth of goods for children, including outdoor games, and library bags, as well as setting up a library area in the village; Echuca Lions Club purchased a large piece of play equipment for children; Elmore Lions Club donated a BBQ lunch; and Yarrawonga Lions Club are building ‘buddy benches’ to be placed by the playground.

Twelve Bunnings Warehouse staff members assembled the play equipment. Image: Supplied

Bunnings has also come to the party, donating and assembling BBQs, outdoor furniture, and equipment for a community garden area. And Cowra Men’s Shed is building two large outdoor BBQ tables and benches to complete the BBQ area.

These areas have been embraced by the residents of the village, with many getting involved in the community garden already.

“Teamwork makes the dream work,” said Lion Lee.

You can donate to the Australian Lions Foundation’s Emergency Disaster Appeal here.

Nicholas Tadros

Lions to support the 10-year-old Gold Coast helicopter crash victim

Ten-year-old Nicholas Tadros suffered extensive injuries in the recent helicopter crash on the Gold Coast which tragically killed his mother Vanessa.

The heartbreaking story has captivated the nation and now there’s a way for people to make a difference.

Nicholas Tadros Appeal

In an update on the family’s tragic situation, Channel 9’s A Current Affair is joining forces with Australian Lions Foundation to launch an appeal to raise funds to help support Nicholas and his father Simon who now finds himself a single parent.

Donations to the Australian Lions Foundation Appeal can be made online and 100% of the funds raised will be used to support Nicholas and his father Simon during this difficult time.

Australian Lions Foundation Chairperson Tony Benbow OAM says:

“Nicholas broke almost every bone in his body in the mid-air helicopter crash in January. When we recently saw his father confirm to A Current Affair that Nicholas’ right leg needed to be amputated due to infection, we knew we needed to do something.”

“Nicholas’ father Simon can no longer work as a truck driver and won’t for the foreseeable future as he needs to be by his son’s side for the long road ahead. Nicholas will spend months in hospital and will likely need medical care for the rest of his life.”

“We know many people are looking for a way to support Nicholas and his father through this difficult time and we are pleased to facilitate this through an appeal.”

The Australian Lions Foundation has been providing grants for compassionate support and community initiatives since the 1980’s.  Every year the Foundation distributes more than $1 million for projects through local Lions Clubs.

“Nicholas and Simon are from Western Sydney and we will be working closely with their local Lions Club of Parramatta to manage the support,” says Tony Benbow.

Thank you for your donations. This appeal is now closed.

Lions International President – Brian Sheehan – Message to Australian Lions about flood disaster.

Lions provide a little Christmas joy to NSW flood victims

When disaster strikes, Lions volunteers are the first to offer support and that’s exactly what is happening as communities across Australia face the devastating effects of recent floods in the lead up to Christmas.

The township of Eugowra, which is located between Forbes and Canowindra in central NSW, is one of those places.

Their entire community was decimated by flood waters which went through the small country township like an “inland tsunami”.

Houses were inundated with flood waters and moved from their foundations, even with family members still inside.

Working together, Lions decided to organise a little Christmas gift for the residents to help raise their spirits.

Devastation and damage to local houses, moved from their foundations.

Disaster Chair N4 PDG Anne Jones OAM, together with the Australian Lions Foundation and Lions’ Christmas cake provider, Traditional Foods, were able to to put together an urgent order of 900 Christmas Cakes to be shipped to Dubbo and collected by Lions ready for distribution.

A small sticker was put on all of the boxes wishing recipients a heartfelt Christmas greeting and small acknowledgement that Lions are thinking of them at this time.

“We know the road to recovery is a long one after a disaster. Our volunteers are still going above and beyond to help communities rebuild after the devastating bushfires of 2019/2020 and we will see the same with flood affected communities,” says Australian Lions Foundation Chairperson Tony Benbow OAM.

Cakes being boxed with greeting stickers.

Lions have been providing emergency support to Australian communities for decades. Over $4.6 million was raised and distributed in the recent Australian Lions Foundation National Bushfire Appeal and $1.9 million was raised and distributed to Flood Support last year.

Anyone looking to make a donation and support those affected by the floods can do so through their local Lions Club or through donating directly to Australian Lions Foundation.

Click here to make a donation (all donations over $2 are tax deductible).

Echuca Lions Club donate to local cancer centre

BY EMILY WILLIAMS

Echuca Lions Club has donated $20,000 to a new Cancer and Wellness Centre for the Victorian town.

The $8.3 million centre will deliver a new chemotherapy and haemodialysis unit to the area, as well as provide wellness programs to help improve the health and well-being of cancer patients.

With several members of Echuca Lions Club having been touched by cancer themselves, this project was particularly close to their hearts.

“It means something to all of us,” said Lion Laurie Stewart.

“I had pancreatic cancer, John had prostate cancer, and Graeme had bladder cancer.”

Half the money was raised at the Club’s annual golf day in March, and the Australian Lions Foundation (ALF) provided the rest through a matching grant.

Lion John Hewlett says the Club is grateful for the community getting behind the cause.

“We know it’s been a difficult time for a lot of local businesses after all the lockdowns, so we really appreciate the support,” he said.

Work on Echuca Cancer and Wellness Centre began in August 2021 and is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

 

Original Story from the Riverine Herald, here.

Lions Foundation doing a bloody good job

BY EMILY WILLIAMS

Over the next two years, The Lions Cord Blood Foundation will provide Monash Children’s Hospital in Victoria with $50,000 for neo-natal cell therapy research.

Announced in August, the grant will go towards improving outcomes for vulnerable babies by utilising the “reparative, anti-inflammatory, and regenerative potential of cell therapies”.

Cord blood is the blood that is found in the umbilical cord and placenta after a baby is born. As a rich and diverse source of stem cells, this blood can be used for children and adults requiring bone marrow transplants.

The Lions Cord Blood Foundation was established in 1996 by Laurie Denton, a member of the Lions Club of Waverly in V5 and has raised more than $2.3 million for the Fight Cancer Foundation.

Ron Tregear, Chairman (3rd from left) & Pat Mills, Association Secretary (4th from left), Lions Cord Blood Foundation along with members of Newborn Cell Therapies group

Chairperson of the Foundation, Ron Tregear, says this research is “particularly rewarding”.

“It will involve bringing extremely premature babies into the world potentially in better health than they may have otherwise been,” he said.

Associate Professor Atul Mahlotra says he is grateful to the Foundation.

“This will directly feed into our cell therapies clinical trial pipeline including one study currently recruiting extremely preterm babies to investigate feasibility and safety of autologous cord blood cell therapy,” he said.

In Australia, cord blood has been used to treat over 80 conditions, including cancers, blood disorders, immune disorders and metabolic disorders.

You can learn more about The Lions Cord Blood Foundation here.