Tellico Village Lions Club members are always looking for ways to give back to the community, whether through fundraising activities or the recently installed exercise stations along the Wellness Center walking trail.
As a token of their appreciation for support in the community, Lions Club members constructed the four exercise stations around the estimated half-mile loop that wraps around the Wellness Center about a couple weeks ago.
Membership Chairman Bruce Johnson said the idea to give back to the Village as a way of saying thank you actually evolved over the years dating back to three years ago when former president Chuck Bailey traveled to North Carolina and thought of building an amphitheater in the Village for various community activities.
“You name it,” Johnson said. “We looked at all the things we could do to give back to Tellico Village because they’re the ones that come to all of our fundraising things and help us out, and because we get all of the money from them and then we give it to charities, both in the county and out, that we decided we need to give back to the community and how could we do that.”
The amphitheater idea was determined to be cost prohibitive, which is eventually what led to the exercise stations. Johnson said a bench at each station is also scheduled to be built sometime during the coming two weeks, which should allow residents a chance to take a breather if they so choose to while on the path.
Members voted on the benches in the spring and equipment took about six weeks for it to arrive, Johnson said. A ribbon cutting ceremony is scheduled to take place Sept. 24.
“If they need to sit and rest, they can,” Johnson said. “If somebody wants to rest while the other one’s doing exercise, but we already have the benches, it’s just a matter of putting together and digging the hole to put them in.”
Upcoming plans
The Lions Club is getting set for its annual vision screenings in the schools, which will begin sometime next month and carry on through May. Past President Curt Isakson said he expects to cover North Middle, Loudon Elementary, Steekee Elementary, Highland Park Elementary and Eaton Elementary schools.
Johnson said the Lions Club will also have a presence in pre-schools, day cares, private schools and “just about every school.”
Isakson said the vision screenings are important because Lions Club members can help identify children with vision problems early on, and the screenings help give them the opportunity to make any corrections needed to see properly.
“A lot of times we find kids whose vision is not quite right, and it’s not just a matter of needing glasses,” Isakson said. “They find out when they do the exams that they have other problems that go along with it, so you can help a lot of kids straighten out those problems very early on.”
The annual Oktoberfest charity fundraiser at the Yacht Club is scheduled to take place Oct. 5.
“We feel like we give back because so many people look forward to that, that basically it’s a great deal for anybody that wants to come (at a) minimal cost, (and) all that money goes to charity,” Johnson said. “But it’s also an excellent opportunity to kick off the fall, get people together, enjoy the outdoors and music and brats and beer.”
Isakson said plans have already been made and everything is worked out well in advance for the fundraiser. Other fundraisers held during the course of the year are a chili and soup dinner in spring and the golf outing in summer, he said.
Fundraising figures for recent events included $9,970 from the golf scramble, $3,279 from the chili and soup dinner and $5,216 from the Oktoberfest, Johnson said.
“We feel like by doing that we’re giving back because we could always just do things to raise money, but we try to do ours in a way that people can enjoy our outings,” Johnson said.
New activities
Johnson said current king lion, John Diehm, has asked the club board to begin thinking of different ideas for the club to consider in addition to the activities it already does over the course of the year.
“People are at this stage have been challenged to come up with ideas, and as you would imagine some folks have already thrown some ideas out,” Johnson said. “They’re at the thinking about it stage, I guess.”
One idea a member suggested is holding a bingo night. By adding to the club’s current activities, new additions could mix it up for the club and bring in different ways of raising money, Johnson said
“That’s the kind of stuff we do,” Johnson said. “We’re always thinking what other kind of stuff could we do to get the community involved. That’s basically what we’re doing.”
For more information about the Lions Club, including membership, call Johnson at 865-408-9880 or Isakson at 865-458-2943.
