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Fish-A-Thon …Lionism at its best

Members of the Cupertino De Anza, Almaden Super and Cupertino Host Lions Clubs joined forces at Stevens Creek Quarry in Cupertino on Saturday, May 7 for the 51st annual Fish-A-Thon for disabled children and adults. The event provided an extraordinary outing for 108 special needs individuals having Down’s syndrome, cerebral palsy, blindness or similar disability. With the help of Lions volunteers each participant experienced the joy of catching their own fish and taking home a memorable photograph with their catch, which the Lions cleaned and iced for them. A lunch was provided for some 400 participants, their families and volunteers by the Cupertino Host Lions, which sponsored the event. Participants were drawn from Lions sponsored organizations such as Via Services/Camp Costanoan, Parents Helping Parents and the Santa Clara Valley Blind Center, as well as invitations to Special Education classes throughout the community. The Fish-A-Thon is a great example of Lionism at its best and a heart-warming experience for each volunteer.  

Report by Lion Kent Vincent

Charter Night 2011 – Brief Report

On Saturday March 19th, 2011, the DeAnza Lions celebrated their 42nd Club anniversary with an Irish theme. Master of Ceremonies Lion John Smith entertained all with Irish humor as only an Englishman can do. 52 attendees representing Lions, Monta Vista Leos and friends of Lions attended the charter night party, which is not a fund raiser but a social get together of our club.

Several unique things happened that night: for the first time fellow members were invited with their kids, and for the first time we had Leos present – as times change we must change. Our club has parents with small children and allowing children makes it much easier for them to attend Lions Club functions. Two young couples who just had a new baby made it a point to show up at the party to present their little ones. Our new Leo club members agreed to take care of the small children; which made it a win-win situation for all concerned and will create a new way of running charter night functions in the future.

Lion Jim Goodheart, the president of the San Jose Scales of Justice Lions Club and our guest of honor, gave an entertaining, informative talk before presenting awards to club members.

Report by Lion Ray Lancon

Lions Speaker Contest – Next Round

The Region 1 Zone 2 Lions Student Speaker Contest, the next level above the club contest, was held at the Creekside Building in Cupertino on Monday March 14th @ 6:30 PM.

Four High School students participated, sponsored by Lions Clubs from San Jose Almaden Super, Saratoga, Los Gatos and Cupertino DeAnza. All of the students were very prepared and creative addressing the contest subject ”Enforcing Our Borders: State vs. Federal Rights”

DeAnza Lions used this community event to again reach out and work with the Cupertino Rotary to make this event happen. The Rotarians Jerra Rowland, Hung Wei, Wendell Stephens and Jim Walker were the judges (3 active plus one alternate) that insured the contest went off without a hitch.

The contest was well supported by the Lions and friends of Lions. All of the clubs sent members and parents to support the students. In total, over 25 Lions were in attendance for this important community event sponsored by Lions MD 4. This shows the grass root effect the Lions have in the community.

The winner was a student from the Super Almaden Lions Club – Congratulations!

It was a thoroughly enjoyable and rewarding evening – Lionism at its best.

The district level contest will take place on March 30th, 2011.

Report submitted by Lion Ray Lancon

Cupertino De Anza Lions and Sunnyvale Sunrise Rotary Club – 15th Annual Charity Crab Feed

They all came: 485+ people showed up at the 15th Annual Charity Crab Feed, organized by the Cupertino DeAnza Lions and the Sunnyvale Sunrise Rotarians. Prominent guests included the IPDG Marlene Duffin and her husband, as well as Lion Bob Ferber, candidate for 1VDG for our district.

As last year, the event took place at the Community Hall of St. Williams Parish in Los Altos. Despite the continued economic crisis, tickets for the first seating were sold out, while there were tickets left over for the second seating. 

As in previous years, the Fish Market restaurant delivered ocean-fresh crab, 1700 pounds of it, which was scrubbed, cleaned and iced by some 10 intrepid Lions, 5 Rotarians and a few friends of theirs the day before.

Beer, music, and about $ 18,000 net were donated to the cause, which helps keeping a healthy profit for both clubs, to be distributed to our dedicated charities and causes

After a few hours of smooth setup, the guests began to stream in, taking seats at the beautifully decorated tables, while listening to the Thrown Together Jazz Band which was in great form. Especially our young guests enjoyed dancing to the happy sounds.

The kitchen was humming with numerous volunteers, preparing salads, cooking spaghetti, and baking garlic bread, while outside the hall, other volunteers, especially from the Fish Market, cooked the crab to perfection. Our servers this year were students of Monta Vista High, many part of our LEO club. They were eager to help not only with waiting the tables, but also selling raffle tickets and cleaning up. Over 20 raffle prizes went to some happy clients in the first seating, while almost all silent auction items found a new owner.

After redecorating tables and a small break for the musicians, the volunteers enjoyed a slice or two of Pizza, before another crowd of almost 200 people showed up. Again, our young helpers waited on the tables, sold raffle tickets, and keys to the lock box. We thank the winners of the lockbox, who donated a total of $ 1200.00

A roaring thank you goes to all sponsors and volunteers of this event. Many of them already signed up for next year, including the volunteers of the Fish Market and the Band. The proceeds will be split with the Rotary Club, as usual, and will be distributed to our charitable causes. For more see our website www.deanzalions.org

Lions and Leos at the 2010 San Jose Christmas Parade

Members of the De Anza Lions and the Monta Vista Leos Club joined forces with Lions and Leos from around the area on Dec. 5 in the always fun annual San Jose Holiday Parade. This year Lions and Leos tethered a large helium balloon of Santa Garfield down the parade route. Dressed in yellow Lions jackets, vests, caps and purple holiday scarves, the entourage of Lions and Leos proudly represented Lionism to the estimated 100,000 people lining Santa Clara and First Streets, and to the television audience of KNTV-NBC that televised the parade.

The San Jose Holiday Parade is considered one of the top 25 parades in the nation and is annually sponsored by Lions clubs in the San Jose and Santa Cruz areas. This year’s Honorary Grand Marshals were World Champion San Francisco Giants center fielder Andres Torres and pitcher Sergio Romo. The Grand Marshal was Minnie Mouse from the Disneyland® Resort.  

Prior to the parade Lions and Leos from the participating clubs met at the balloon staging area off Santa Clara Street for a fun social hour including hot toddies and donuts. This was a wonderful time to enjoy the great camaraderie of our friends in sister clubs around the area. Approximately 40 Lions and 30 Leos participated. Following the parade Lions across District 4-C6 manned the A.J. Robinson Health Screening unit, providing free diabetes screenings to many who had watched the parade. The “AJ” was strategically parked across from the NBC Broadcast Booth next to Christmas in the Park where the largest parade crowds were gathered. Many thanks to Leos Albert, Alice and Jessica from the Monta Vista Leo Club, who served as Chinese speaking registrars for the free screenings.

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Community With A Heart – Thanksgiving Food Drive provides food baskets for 130 families in the community

The DeAnza Lions want to thank Safeway, the community and all Monta Vista High School volunteers for making our 31st Annual Thanksgiving Food Drive a huge success. This year we provided Thanksgiving food boxes to 130 needy families in our community, including low income families with kids in Hughes Elementary school, the Sunnyvale Support Network for battered women and others.

2010 has been another tough year for many people in our community. With no real rebound in the overall economy, more people lost their source of income, increasing the number of those requiring food support, while donations were generally down. The DeAnza Lions Club, preparing for the 31st annual food drive, was facing a few additional obstacles: the Sunnyvale PakNSav store, venue for many food drives had been closed, and the new Safeway built there in lieu had not yet opened.

Still, the food drive was put on the agenda, as usual for the weekend before Thanksgiving (Nov 20th – 22nd) and things started to fall into place.  The new Safeway Store opened – as scheduled – on Nov 11th, and gave permission for the food drive.  Another Safeway (S. Bernardo) was added to the drive. Fellow lions, their spouses and/or friends, as well as LEOs, CSF and Octagon members from Monta Vista High School braved the cold and windy weather, handing out shopping lists to patrons, asking for contributions, however small, for our food baskets. Needless to say that more patrons did their shopping in the brief sunny intervals and thus also the donations of food and money were up during those periods.

On Sunday morning, the sorting of non-perishable food items proceeded in the Odd Fellows Hall on Homestead/Saratoga-Sunnyvale road – we are grateful for the free-of-charge use of this convenient venue for our food distribution.

On Monday morning, the food baskets were supplemented with the perishable goods, and distributed to low-income families and people in need whose names had been collected previously

In the face of tight economic times, we succeeded in filling 130 food baskets (2 boxes of food, together worth $ 75 each) – food items that will provide for a generous Thanksgiving dinner and quite a few meals beyond.

In addition, 46 turkeys and two pick-up trucks/beds full of foods were delivered to the Sunnyvale Community Services to supplement their food bank.

The DeAnza Lions Club gratefully acknowledges the donation of food and funds of approx. $ 12,000 during this food drive.

We also thank each and every volunteer, especially the members of the newly founded LEO club, and the owners of the Safeway Stores, for donating time and energy and money to this worthwhile cause. Happy faces and kind words of thanks met the Lions who delivered the gift baskets.

A big Thank You again to the patrons of the Safeway Stores for opening their heart and wallets to help people in need.

Happy Thanksgiving!

DeAnza Lions first collaboration with Project Linus…

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DeAnza Lions first collaboration with Project Linus results in 9 new blankets for needy children!!!

Lions Leslye and John Noone introduced the DeAnza Lions Club to Project Linus by inviting us to their home for a hands on lesson in making handmade fleece blankets.

Project Linus is a non-profit organization which provides blankets and quilts to children who need help and support through some of life’s tough places.  Volunteers known as “Blanketeers” provide hand made blankets as gifts for these children. The South Bay/San Jose Chapter has donated over 24,000 blankets since April 2002.

DSCN8905 Approximately 5 Lions, some of their family members, and 5 new Leos met on April 8th and made 9 blankets in the 2 hours they worked together.  Lion Carl even took a fleece home with him and made the tenth blanket on his own! It is an extremely rewarding and worthwhile community outreach program. The Noones look forward to hosting the DeAnza Lions for more “Blanketeering” nights in the months to come!  Everyone, Lions or not, will be welcome to share in the fun, the great fellowship and, most importantly, the community outreach.

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Look who’s got new eyeglasses…

On January 15th, 2010, DeAnza Lions Kathy and Kerry took 2 middle school age students to LensCrafters® at the Westgate Shopping Center (San Jose) for an eye examination and prescription of eyeglasses, sponsored by DeAnza Lions Club. When the lion ladies arrived at the school to pick up the kids, they were warmly greeted by the office staff, thanking them for helping these children. The sensitive and professional optometrist at LensCrafters® also expressed her gratitude to the lions and the DeAnza Lions club for reaching out and getting involved.

Both the kids that Lions Kathy and Kerry met were extremely polite, excited and grateful for the help our club provided. The girl did not stop smiling the entire time. Her brother received his glasses immediately, while the girl had to wait a few more days. Lions Kathy and Kerry again took the time to take her back to LensCrafters®.
Needless to say that both lions received a huge hug from the kids.

Lions Kerry and Kathy, together with the DeAnza Lions Club thank LensCrafters® for their professional and sensitive help

DeAnza Lions get hearing aids for students

January 10, 2010

Esther Halwani, a counselor at DeAnza College Special Education Division, had a hearing-impaired student that needed new hearing aides. Abit Baral, a 19 year old exchange student from Nepal, had difficulties following his classes because his hearing was severely impaired. Esther Halwani located information on the Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) website about the Lions “Affordable Hearing Aid Project” and contacted the organization. LCIF referred her to the Cupertino DeAnza Lions Club.

Lion Ray Lancon, DeAnza Lions Club president, mentioned the case in one of the weekly meetings. Lion Kathy Golkar volunteered to work with Esther and her student. Together they filled out the required application documents in February 2009.

After it was determined that the student met the qualifications, the DeAnza club agreed to purchase two Rexton Targa 3 P digital heating aides, to be worn behind the ears, at a total cost of $ 400.00. Bill Forrest at Sears Hearing Aid Center located in the Cupertino Square Mall provided his services pro- bono, which included making the ear molds and programming the hearing aides.

Abit received his hearing aides beginning of April 2009. Both, Abit and Esther, attended one of our monthly meetings in September 2009 to thank our club for purchasing and donating the hearing aides. Abit said that he is doing well in school and is able to participate in group discussions. Esther stated the transformation in his self-confidence was amazing. She went on to say that prior to getting the hearing aides, he did not smile much or socialize with other students. Abit added: “I had no idea my room mate plays his radio at night when he went to bed”.

Abit continues to do well in school and hopes to transfer to Cal-Poly to study engineering.

DeAnza Lions at the 2009 San Jose Christmas Holiday Parade

Members of the De Anza Lions joined forces with Lions clubs from around the area in the always fun annual “San Jose Holiday Parade”. This year we tethered a large helium balloon of the PBS cartoon character “Arthur” down the parade route. Arthur’s eye glasses, book and backpack symbolize programs supported by local and international Lions clubs. Dressed in yellow Lions jackets, caps and yellow holiday scarves, the entourage of Lions proudly represented Lionism to the thousands of families who lined Santa Clara and First Streets, warmly applauding the service of the Lions as we passed, and to the viewers of KNTV-NBC that televised the parade. Some 125,000 people are estimated to have watched it. A number of our club members’ smiling faces was featured in the broadcast.

The San Jose Holiday Parade is considered one of the top 25 parades in the nation and is annually sponsored by Lions clubs in the San Jose area. This year’s Honorary Grand Marshall was Kristi Yamaguchi and the Grand Marshall was Santa Goofy from the Disneyland Resort.

Prior to the parade Lions from the participating clubs met at the balloon staging area off Santa Clara Street for a fun social hour including hot toddies and donuts. The warmth of Lionism was particularly welcome this year due to an unusually crisp morning. Following the parade, members of our club helped man the A.J. Robinson Health screening unit providing free diabetes screenings to many who watched the parade.

[report by Lion Kent Vincent]