From left to right Ian Wilson, Lions Bazil Gillespie, Wayne Conway (President), John McDougall and Judy Conway. Absent from photo Jim Lansdell.  Photo taken by Louise Day.

The Verona Lions Club donates $10,000 to the University Hospitals Kingston Foundation Children’s Wing.

In 2009, the Verona Lions Club received a generous legacy gift upon the passing of one of its very active members, Donna Clarke. Ms. Clarke had enjoyed a very full and rewarding career as an educator with the Frontenac County Board of Education and it was her wish that her legacy gift be used by the Verona Lions Club for the benefit of local children.

The Verona Festival Association is excited to announce a new venue for the 2010 Verona Festival. For the first 14 years, the Verona Festival was held at McMullen Park; however, a steady growth of entertainment, crafts people and attending crowds made a move to a larger venue essential.

The new venue for the recently renamed “Verona Cattail Festival” will be the Lions Club Centre on Verona Sand Road in Verona. This venue offers many significant improvements over McMullen Park. The Lion Club grounds are 50% larger than McMullen Park, allowing the Festival Committee to book more entertainment, to bring in additional unique vendors and craftspeople, and to add enhanced rest areas, making a visit to the Festival even more enjoyable.The enhanced night time lighting of the Lions Club will allow increased enjoyment of evening entertainment and activities. Handicapped access and facilities will be markedly improved in the new venue. The fully equipped indoor kitchen and canteen will allow a wider selection of food, including a more health conscious menu.The Lions Club site will also offer greater protection from inclement weather. The new outdoor pavilion and the Lions Club Hall will allow some activities to continue that would otherwise have had to be cancelled in the old venue.

The famous Duct Tape Boat Races and the Soapbox Derby will still be held in their traditional locations at McMullen Beach and the Carleton St hill respectively. The popular Free Methodist Church Pancake Breakfast and the Trinity United Church Fish Fry will be held in the same locations as previous years. Free shuttle service will be provided to all these events.

The change in venue was unanimously approved at the General Meeting of the Verona Festival Association held on March 30, 2010. The Verona Festival Association is an all-volunteer group. New volunteers are always welcome. The next Festival meeting will be Tuesday, April 20 at the Verona Lion’s Club on Verona Sand Road. 7PM. For more information visit the Festival website at www.veronafestival.com or contact Wayne Conway at 613-374-3807.

l-r: Joyce Bigelow, Ray Fletcher, Lynette Whan and Laurie Watson in “An Anniversary to Die For”

The Sharbot Lake High School Cafetorium was the scene of a mock murder on the evening of March 27 as the Sharbot Lake and District Lions Club, with the help of staff from the Northern Connections Adult Learning Centres, presented “An Anniversary to Die For”, a murder mystery written by Joyce Bigelow and her daughter Lynette Whan.

The event raised money for the Sharbot Lake and District Lions and a $30 ticket included a roast beef and turkey buffet dinner with all the fixings and an appropriately blood red cherry cheesecake for dessert.

Over 60 paying guests enjoyed a delicious meal at the mock 25th wedding anniversary of Farley Fast and Lott Fast where to the horror of all dinner guests Iona Lot was found murdered outside in the parking lot.

The plot thickened as the dinner continued and as the cast of 13 colorful characters were each interrogated by Police Inspector Helena Hand Basket (Laurie Watson) who revealed a number of intriguing motives for each character.

The guests were left to decide who the culprit was, and according to Joyce Bigelow, roughly 25 percent of the guests figured out who the culprit was.

This is the third time that the play has been performed and, in case it’s not the last, I shall say no more.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Purina Walk for Dog Guides. On September 18, at 1 P.M., Sharbot Lake will join people in over 180 locations across Canada who have already participated in this national fundraising event throughout the summer. There is no registration fee and the Walk is open to all ages and fitness levels. We encourage all participants to bring their four-legged friend along for the Walk, although you do not need a canine companion to walk in this event.

Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides does not receive any government support and relies on the support of fundraising events and donations from service clubs, corporations, foundations and individuals across the country.

The accommodations at the school in Oakville, extensive training and the dogs are provided to qualified applicants at no cost. It costs the Foundation approximately $20,000 to provide each Dog Guide to eligible Canadians.

After a dog completes the 6-8 month training program, a successful applicant stays at the Oakville training facility for 2-4 weeks, depending on the program, to work with the Dog Guide and establish the bond that is necessary for the team to succeed.

After graduation, follow-up visits and communication between the graduate and the training staff is maintained to ensure ongoing success.

A working Dog Guide is permitted in all public places. The dogs have been trained to travel on all forms of public transportation. The Dog Guide’s attention must be on its handler at all times therefore people are not permitted to pet a Dog Guide while it is in harness.

When you register to Walk, you are making a commitment to help thousands of Canadians that require the assistance of a Dog Guide. Last year, with your help, the Sharbot Lake Lions Club raised over $3500. This year’s goal is $5000. Thanks to our generous sponsors, 100% of the donations collected go directly towards Lions Foundation of Canada's Dog Guide programs. Please help continue to provide Dog Guides at no cost to Canadians with disabilities by participating in the Sharbot Lake Walk for Guide Dogs. Pledge forms can be found in local businesses throughout the village or from any Lions member. See you at the beach on September 18.

The Lions Club: We Serve!

Lions Vic Smith, Marvin Green and Doug Gerow

On June 18 the Sydenham and District Lions hosted their 4th Annual Charity Golf Tournament at Rivendell Golf Club in Verona, which raised over $3000 for the “No Child Without” program. The funds raised this year will go towards providing medic alert bracelets to students with life threatening allergies and other serious medical issues at Perth Road Public School and St. Patrick's Catholic School in Harrrowsmith.

The program was launched nationally as a joint program between the Lions Clubs of Canada and the Canadian MedicAlert Foundation. According to Lion member and tournament coordinator Jim Kelly, the bracelets “help deliver proper medical care more quickly and effectively to students who require it”.

This is the second year that the Lions have helped fund the program. Last year proceeds from the tournament provided close to 20 students at Loughborough Public School in Sydenham with the bracelets. This year 66 golfers participated in the event and a plethora of Lion members volunteered their services, which went a long way in making this year’s tournament another overwhelming success.

Councilors Jim Hicks and Bill Robinson cut the ribbon at the dedication of the Donna Clarke Pavilion in Verona

The official opening of the Donna Clarke Pavilion took place in Verona on May 29 and many came out to honour the former Verona Lions Club member, who donated a bequest from her estate to partially fund the outdoor building. A number of Lion members formed the committee to develop and undertake the project, which was completed in January at the Verona Lions Hall site. Also instrumental in the project and named on the plaque were the Frontenac Community Futures Development Corporation, the Frontenac Farmers’ Market, Rivendell Golf, contractor Steven Peters, and R. W. Electric.

Lion member Louise Day spoke first at the ceremony and gave a history of the Verona Lions Club. Lion president Wayne Conway made the official dedication and spoke of Donna Clarke, who served the community both as a teacher and as a long time Lion member.

Councilor Jim Hicks, a friend of Clarke, spoke at length of their friendship and ended his speech with these words: “Donna had a passion for life and gave everything she did her best. I’m sure she’s looking on us today very pleased that the money she donated has been put to very good use.”

The pavilion will be used for the Frontenac Farmers’ Market, The Lions Jamboree, The Lions Garlic Festival and the Verona Cattail Festival. It will also be available for rentals for wedding parties and family gatherings.

Sherry Welsh and Stewart Stanley pass through Godfrey on May 27on their Quest to Ottawa

Down the Westport Road, east of Godfrey, I recently came across two lone travelers, one a woman on foot, followed by the other, a driver driving slowly behind in a truck laden with flags and a sign that read “Karen’s Quest“.

On foot was Sherry Welsh from Scotland, Ontario, near Brantford, and behind the wheel, Stewart Stanley from St. Williams. The two departed from the Lions Camp Dorset near Huntsville on May 1. The day I met them was day number 27 of their 37-day walk that will take them 600 kilometres to their final destination, Parliament Hill.

Sherry is a member of the South Brant Lions Club and the director of corporate fundraising for Lions Camp Dorset, which is the only camp in Ontario that caters to families with a member requiring kidney dialysis. The camp, operating for 30 years, is funded by various Lions clubs. The camp runs for 13 weeks each summer, providing full medical staff and dialysis equipment for individuals with kidney disease. It also provides accommodations for their families.

Sherry informed me that the goal of Karen’s Quest is three-fold: to collect donations for Lions Camp Dorset; to bring awareness to Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplants; and to give an opportunity to high school students to contribute their community service hours.

For Sherry, the walk is of a personal nature. It is named in honour of her sister, Karen Manary Klassen, who passed away a decade ago from kidney failure. Before Karen succumbed to the disease, she had a chance to spend time with her husband and two daughters at Lions Camp Dorset. “She absolutely loved it,” Sherry recalled.

This is the third annual Karen’s Quest that Sherry and Stew have undertaken and in the last two years together they have raised over $70,000; $4000 of that has come from the collection of empty liquor bottles they pick up along the way.

Currently the camp is in need of 20 new dialysis machines at a total cost of $200,000.

Sherry and Stew plan to reach Ottawa on June 6. Members of the RCMP will lead them to Parliament Hill where they will be greeted by other Lions members and, they hope, a “slew of bag pipers” to bring attention to their cause.

As we wrap up our interview a heavy downpour erupts. I dash back to my car, Stew climbs back into his truck and unfazed, Sherry just grabs a raincoat from the truck and continues on. Their next stop was to be Westport, where Lions members were providing them with free accommodations and meals.

Supporters can become involved by joining the walk, donating empty bottles or by making donations.

For more information visit www.lionscampdorset.on.ca or call the camp at 705-766-2780. Sherry can be reached directly at 519-909-9780 or 519-446-2408, or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Purina Walk for Dog Guides raises money to help train Dog Guides for Canadians with visual, hearing, medical or physical disabilities. To date the Walk has raised more than $5.7 million for Dog Guides. The Walk is Lions Foundation of Canada’s largest annual fundraising event.

Throughout the spring and summer, walks have been held in 180 locations across Canada. Now it’s your turn! On September 18, 2010 at the Sharbot Lake beach, the local Lions Club will host their second annual Walk for Guide Dogs. Last year, $3500 was raised during this event. This year’s goal is $5000 and you can help. Get a pledge form from one of our local business partners located throughout the village and get ready to walk!

Foster Puppy Program

Puppies are bred at the Lions Foundation’s facility in Breslau, Ontario or occasionally donated by generous, reputable breeders. At approximately eight weeks of age, puppies are placed in foster homes until they are ready to return for formal training – usually around one year of age.

Foster families attend puppy classes in Oakville and Breslau every 4-6 weeks throughout the oneyear commitment. The foster families house train the puppies, teach them manners and basic obedience, and socialize them to things like offices, shopping malls and public transportation.

Breeds commonly used are Labrador Retrievers and Standard Poodles (for those applicants who are allergic to dogs), Golden Retrievers, and some smaller breeds. The training for a Dog Guide is an intensive four to six month period, training one on one with a qualified trainer. Once fully trained, the dog is matched with a client who spends 2-4 weeks at the Oakville training facility, learning how to handle, trust and bond with their new Dog Guide. After graduation, follow-up visits and communication between the graduate and the training staff is maintained to ensure ongoing success. Each program trains Dog Guides to meet the needs of Canadians with various disabilities.

Dog Guides Canada operates five programs:

Canine Vision Dog Guides for people who are blind or visually impaired; Hearing Ear Dog Guides for people who are deaf or hard of hearing; Special Skills Dog Guides for people with a medical or physical disability; Seizure Response Dog Guides for people who have epilepsy; Autism Assistance Dog Guides for children with autism

All of this costs the foundation approximately $20,000 per dog. All Dog Guides, training and accommodation at the school are provided to qualified applicants at no cost.

2010 marks the 25th anniversary of the Purina Walk for Dog Guides. All ages, fitness levels, with or without a dog are welcome to participate in the event. To register, find a Walk near you or simply to donate, visit www.purinawalkfordogguides.com or call 613-279-2502. We’ll see you at the beach on September 18, 2010. The Lions Club: We Serve!

Photo: Sharbot Lake and District Lions organized a seniors’ night to remember in Sharbot, which included a tribute to Rosemary Wadham of Arden

The annual Seniors’ Night put on by the Sharbot Lake and District Lions was another overwhelming success. The evening including musical entertainment by emcee Jim MacPherson and Gary Giller, who played a number of well-received toe-tapping pop and country favorites. Door prizes were given away throughout the evening. By far the most moving part of the evening was a video tribute put together by Peter Wadham of Arden, honouring his late wife Rosemary, who entertained the community for years as her very British comedic alter ego Rosie. Sadly, Rosemary passed away on June 21 this year.

Seniors who came out for the evening of entertainment on Oct. 27 were given a chance to laugh and remember Rosie (archive photo, left), a creative spark in the local community who spread joy and laughter far and wide and who is sorely missed by many.

The video was a compilation of Rosie's stand up routines that were performed at the annual Lions seniors' nights, and spanned a period from 1988 through 2009.

Charming, engaging and always entertaining, Rosie never failed to spread joy and laughter.

Born in Newbury, England, Rosemary was a dressmaker by profession. She emigrated to Montreal in 1963 with husband Peter and three children and moved to Ottawa in 1970, where she performed in the Ottawa Little Theatre and was a founding member of the Bytown Players in Gloucester.

In 1992 she and Peter retired to Arden where Rosemary shared her many talents with the community as treasurer of the Kennebec Lake Association from 1996-2000, as a member of the Arden Glee Club and the United Church, and as a regular performer in Mystery Theatre. She was also a talented line dancer and cross stitcher and perhaps became most loved as Rosie. She and her husband Peter were recognized as Seniors of the Year in Kennebec District in 2006.

Though she bravely battled cancer three times and had a long fight with scleroderma, Rosemary is remembered by many as “always having something positive to say”.

Photo: L-r: Keigan Chadwick (Frontenac Fury player), Bazil Gillespie, Buzz Chadwick (Frontenac Fury coach), John McDougall (President Verona Lions), Judy Conway (Fund Chair), Jamie Hitchcock (Frontenac Fury player). Absent from photo Jim Lansdell (Verona Lions committee member). Photo by Louise Day

The Verona Lions Club (Donna Clarke Children’s Fund) donated $5,000 to the Frontenac Girls’ Hockey Association at the Lions’ general meeting on October 26. Over the last five to six years, the association has worked diligently in the advancement of girls’ hockey in our area. Formerly known as the Flyers, the girls now have a new name, new colours, new jerseys, new equipment and a new winning attitude: welcome The Frontenac Fury!

During the 2009 – 2010 season, the Midget C Team qualified for the Provincial Championships and represented Eastern Ontario last April. Three years ago the association also established the Atom Team (8 to 10 years old).

Money from the Verona Lions Club donation will be used to secure goalie instruction, power skating instructions, player and coach development and provide equipment at reduced cost to girls within the organization who could not play hockey without a little support.

The girls are at the Frontenac Community Area every Sunday afternoon from 2:30 to 6:30 P.M.