The Granby Lions Club welcomed a record 15 new members at its New Member Induction and Annual Awards Dinner in June held at the Lost Acres Vineyard. The club boasts over 60 members and is one of the most vibrant clubs in Connecticut.
In addition to the new member induction ceremony, the club presented the Knights of the Blind Award to Ted Christensen. Ted managed the club’s Children’s Vision Screening project for many years, screening thousands of preschoolers and elementary schoolers in Granby for numerous vision problems. On average, one in 10 children in Granby receive a referral to a doctor as a result of this screening process. These referrals have dramatically improved the lives of students. The Lions and the community thank Lion Ted for his service.
An Ambassador of Sight was presented to Tony Cappelli for his years of service on the Board of Directors of the Connecticut Lions Low Vision Centers, an organization that provides free support for individuals suffering from low vision.
The Amanda Rose Freeman Award was presented to Keith Zeiner for his outstanding service on many Lions projects, often “behind the scenes.” The Granby Lions Club sponsored more than 20 service projects during the past year, racking up more than 2,000 hours of community service improving the lives of many Granby citizens and beyond.
Projects completed in the last year included the Connecticut Veterans Stand Down, Children’s Vision Screening, collecting Thanksgiving turkeys for the Jack Bannan Turkey Trot, sponsoring a Special Needs Children’s Holiday Party, MeadowBrook visits, maintaining the American flags in town, providing scholarships to graduating seniors from GMHS and much more.
If you are interested in serving your community with the Granby Lions Club, contact Membership Chairman John Spatcher at jdspatcher@outlook.com. Regular meetings are held at 6:30 p.m. on the first and third Tuesdays at New England Pizza and Restaurant.