The Lions Club of Winchelsea

Walk, Run, Ride or Drive to Wensleydale

For 2009, the Lions Club of Winchelsea annual fundraiser from Winchelsea to Wensleydale will include walkers, runners, horse and bicycle riders and drivers. The Club invites the community to either sponsor a walker/runner/rider or be a sponsored walker/runner/rider - all proceeds are donated to the "Make A Wish" Foundation, an organisation that grants wishes to children with life threatening conditions.

The event will be held on Sunday November 1st, with two starting points depending on how far the sponsoree wishes to go;

1. from the Winchelsea Senior Citizens at 10am for walkers, 11am for runners and riders (12 kilometres distance)
   
2. the corner of Wurdale and Wormbete Station Roads (1 kilometre distances)
   

Drivers should arrive after 12 noon, and if you wish to drive there is a $5 entry fee per car.

The finishing point is 95 Wormbete Station Road in Wensleydale, where participants will be celebreated with a community BBQ, music by "Band on the Run", pony rides and a jumping castle. The famous Winchelsea Lions chuck wagon will also be on hand, with the Club providing meat, bread, salads, desserts, condiments, tea, coffee and soft drinks. Chairs, plates, cutlery and glasses will also be provided.

(If it rains on the day, arrangements have been made to relocate to Wurdale Hall)

The sponsorship form can be found in the Winchelsea Star or phone Murray (0409 405645) or Keith (0408 560070) for further information or forms. You can also download the Walk to Wensleydale sponsorship form here (as a PDF).

Another successful Youth of the Year contest was held by the Winchelsea Lions Club on Wednesday 25th February. Winchelsea's own Abbie Floyd and two students from Geelong Grammar School - Caitlin Matlock and Basil Mackinlay Campbell - made a competition of three.

The Youth of the Year Quest is a community project designed to encourage, foster and develop leadership qualities in young Australians. More than 2,000 people compete in the Quest each year, with winners making their way through zone, region, district, state and national finals.

In the afternoon of the Winchelsea Club final, prior to a meal and fellowship at the Winchelsea Senior Citizens rooms, the contestants were interviewed by three judges ; Mr Daryl Diment, Mrs Jody Fincham, and Mrs Helen Holdsworth. The Public Speaking segment proceeded from 7:30pm with Lions members, relatives & supporters and general public in attendance. Lions Club President Murray Leak welcomed everyone and introduced Region Chairman (and Past District Chairman) Lion Neville Mawson who read the Lions' Objects and then Youth of the Year Chairman Lion Russell Holloway in turn introduced the three judges and three contestants.

Basil was the overall winner to represent Winchelsea Lions Club at the Region judging held at Colac on March 3rd. Abbie Floyd was winner of the Public Speaking segment with a well-prepared and -presented 5 minute speech on the topic of bushfires and rules regarding vegetation near homes.

Caitlin was was presented with a certificate of participation and a Parker pen and pencil set. The experience and memory of the time at Winchelsea will for all three contestants be an enrichment for their future education.

Thanks were extended to parents and teachers, judges and contestants and to all who supported the Lions and made the event possible. Thanks also went to Shirley Leak and Cheryl Mawson and Lynette Henderson for attending to the kitchen and providing the supper. Lion Joe Burhman assisted Lion Neville Mawson as time-keeper and Lion Keith Henderson read the Lions Code of Ethics.

For more than 80 years, ever since Helen Keller spoke at the Lions Convention in Cedar Point, Ohio, USA, Lions have been associated with sight. We are indeed Knights of the Blind. From infancy into old age, through the school years and then in the workforce, we've been there to assist the visually impaired. Our white canes, guide dogs and Braille books, as well as our vocational training and support for schools, have enabled those with vision impairments to lead richer and fuller lives. With SightFirst, we took our concern for the blind to a new level. We restore sight through cataract surgeries and prevent vision loss by bilding eye hospitals and clinics, distributing medication and training medical personnel.

SightFirst has been an incredible success. Since 1990, Lions have done more to prevent blindness and restore sight than in our previous 65 years as Knights of the Blind. Through SightFirst, Lions have prevented severe vision loss or restored sight to 27 million people - more than the population of Australia.

Lions are now at a crossroads - funds for SightFirst are exhausted. Campaign SightFirst II is absolutely essential for Lions to continue their mission of sight. No other group or government will step forward to prevent blindness if Lions don't. If nothing is done, experts say that the world's blind population could double from 37 milion to 74 million by 2020.

But we won't let that happen. We've raised more than US$113 million so far for the campaign and are on pace to reach teh $150 million initial goal. Even our challenge goal of $200 million is do-able - if every Lion remains committed to the campaign and takes concrete steps to support it. Please ensure that unnecessary blindness is a sourge of the past. Helen Keller and the Lions who first heeded her call are gone. But it's up to us to honour their legacy and keep the visually impaired and those threatened with vision loss foremost in our hearts and minds - and at the centre of our service.