Gracias and Golf in Yosemite

Lions Club Secretary Brett and Vice President Jodi get ready to serve up a fiesta

The Yosemite Lions Club would like to send a heart-felt "Gracias!" to the Yosemite community for supporting El Mosquito Fiesta and Summer Gear Swap. We raised over $900 for local schools by hosting an excellent Mexican dinner prepared by the fabulous Maria La Veaga (who donated her time preparing this wonderful food) and the First Annual Summer Gear Swap.

Newest member of the Lions Club, Bil, is at your service

Five participants provided used gear in the form of backpacks, trekking and fishing poles, camp stoves, bike gear and other goodies for rock-bottom prices. The swap was well-attended and we received many encouraging comments from shoppers who liked the idea of purchasing used gear from the community. We hope that you will join us next year by bringing old gear to sell and purchasing some items that are new to you.

Are you joining us next weekend in Yosemite National Park at the Wawona golf course for the annual Lions Club Golf Tournament fundraiser? Though this popular event is nearly filled, you can check with Registrar Extraordinaire Shari to see if we can squeeze in one more team. Contact Shari at 209-628-5941. We hope to see you there for a late summer day on the greens, BBQ dinner at the Wawona Hotel and the Greatest Raffle in the Known Universe! This year we have many golf-related prizes such as rounds of golf at local courses in addition to dinners for two at The Mountain Room and Wawona Dining Room, Brunch for two at The Ahwahnee, and spa treatments from Tenaya Lodge!

Travel to the Wawona area of Yosemite is unaffected by the Rim Fire. However, the air quality may be affected by this large wildfire that is burning in the northwest wilderness of the park. We'll keep our fingers crossed for clear blue skies on the date of the tournament and give big thanks to the firefighters doing their best to contain the fire. For more info about the Rim Fire, visit http://www.yosemitepark.com/yosemite-fire-update.aspxhttp://www.yosemitepark.com/yosemite-fire-update.aspx

Big Summer Events with Yosemite Lions Club!

After successful spring events such as the Relay for Life fundraiser for the American Cancer Society in Mariposa where we raised over $3000 dollars for cancer research, and the Spring Blood Drive in Yosemite Valley, the club takes a breather before the two biggest events of the year: The Mosquito Festival and the Annual Golf Tournament.

On Monday, August 12, the club will host the venerable Mosquito Festival (now known as La Mosquito Fiesta) at the Curry Village Community Center in Yosemite Valley. From 5:30 to 7:00 PM, we'll serve a Mexican fundraiser dinner prepared by the lovely and talented Maria La Veaga. New this year, we will also host a Summer Gear Swap during the dinner. Inspired by our friends at the Yosemite Winter Club, we hope that community members will bring their old gear to swap or sell. Summer gear only, please, as the Yosemite Winter Club hosts a winter gear swap every year in November during their fundraising dinner. If you would like to participate in the Gear Swap, come on down to the CVCC and with the items you would like to sell tagged with your name and price. We'll sell the gear for you and at the end of the evening, you'll collect the funds from your sold items. Any unsold items must go home with you. If you would like to donate any of your funds to the club's fundraising efforts, we'll certainly accept! We hope to see you and your gear on Monday evening to share a wonderful Mexican dinner of tacos, burritos, beans, rice, chips & salsa and a drink.

On Saturday, September 7, we will be hosting the Annual Golf Tournament at the Wawona Hotel Golf Course in Yosemite National Park. This popular event is filling fast, so if you would like to come golf in a national park for a good cause, please contact our registrar, Shari, at 209-628-5941 or send us a message at yosemiteliosnclub@yahoo.com. You can also download the registration form here: 
http://www.scribd.com/doc/159444362/Yosemite-Lions-Club-Annual-Golf-Tournament-2013

We hope to see you in September too!