Lions District 25B Governor Sandra Zeigler spoke at the Tuesday January 10th joint Monroeville Lions/Heritage Lions meeting held at Saint John Lutheran Flatrock Church. She used the metaphor that if you have an individual domino, you cannot be very creative. But when you combine several dominoes, increasingly creative and helpful activities can be imagined and implemented. Lions working together can and do accomplish great things. Each Lion brings to the group their unique abilities and intentions. Governor Zeigler went on to describe several projects the Indiana Lions organization is involved in.
Leader Dogs for the Blind in Rochester Hills, Michigan seemed especially dear to her heart (she owns four dogs). Volunteers raise a newborn puppy until they are one year old (https://www.leaderdog.org/volunteer/host-a-breeding-dog/) . They then surrender the puppy to the Leader Dog program, where it is paired with a blind person. The dog and its new owner train together and build a relationship of trust and love. The owner is absolutely dependent on the dog to guide them about.
This training costs about $40,000 and is 100% philanthropically funded by Lions clubs, individual donors, corporate partners and foundations. There is no charge for any of our programs and services, including the guide dog, equipment, training, transportation to and from the campus, and room and board during training. Over 4,900 Lions Clubs, both nationally and internationally, contribute financially to the Leader Dog program.
Governor Zeigler also spoke of the Indiana Lions Speech and Hearing programs, the Indiana Lions Cancer Control Fund “to establish, promote, manage, and control a fund to be used for the control of cancer”, and the Indiana Lions efforts to enhance opportunities for students of the Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired. She also mentioned VisionFirst – Indiana Lions Eye Bank, “a leader in eye-tissue transplantation, committed to changing the lives of those in need”. Finally, she encouraged all members to support the Special Olympics, “which strives to change the lives of people with intellectual disabilities”.
Governor Zeigler and her husband got lost on their trip to the church, arriving a few minutes late. Mr. Zeigler was kidded on his lack of navigational skills. The funniest time came when, in the middle of the meeting, his GPS suddenly “spoke”, commanding him to “turn right, then turn right again.”
The Heritage Lions and the Monroeville Lions motto is “We Serve” and we welcome anyone who wishes to help their local community to contact a Heritage or Monroeville Lion.
