The Beiseker Lions Club raised $46,917 from June 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018, providing much needed support for a variety of organizations and events in the community.
“The lion’s share – no pun intended – is raised for STARS Air Ambulance. We have what we call a Lions STARS Golf Classic. This past August we raised $26,000,” said Fred Bell, a 49-year member of the club. “We’re booked again for this August [8] at the golf course in Lyalta.”
Other donation recipients include the Beiseker Arena ($6,965), the Beiseker Library ($2,000) and Beiseker Fair Day ($2,000). The Lions Club also provides a $500 scholarship each year to Beiseker School and made a $330 grant to Beiseker 4H.
Recipients are chosen based on need, Bell said, and usually after the club receives a request for funding.
“Some organizations we do [fund] automatically every year, like the medical clinic here and [North Rocky View] Community Links, the library – those are pretty well the same every year and just an automatic thing,” he said. “Otherwise, we just wait for people to ask for help.”
One of the organizations Bell said the Lions Club prefers to fund is Eastside Tae Kwon Do.
“We think it’s a very good thing. The guy here is very dedicated and, the fact is, we have a standing invitation to him – anytime he needs money to let us know,” he said. “It offers something good for the kids in the community and he does wonders with the children here.”
The Beiseker Lions Club was formed in 1945, and will celebrate 75 years in 2020, according to Bell, with a big event.
The club holds a variety of fundraising events throughout the year to raise the funds it needs to support the community. Every two-and-a-half years the club takes part in a casino, which generally raises approximately $50,000, Bell said. The Club has one coming up in 2019, which will provide a much-needed injection of funds for the organization to disperse.
The club currently has 25 members, and Bell said finding younger, new members is a struggle.
“We have lots of non-members that help with our [events] but, for some reason, they just don’t want to get tied down,” he said. “People are just too busy. The members that we do have are pretty active.”
For more information about the Beiseker Lions Club, visit the website – e-clubhouse.org/sites/beiseker/
