Looking Forward to Fundraising in 2012 (with a rewind to 2011)

We're heading towards spring here in Yosemite, though we really haven't had much of a winter!  Before winter came tiptoeing to the Sierra, the Yosemite Lions Club held another successful fall blood drive in El Portal at the community center.  Lions Club Member and blood drive coordinator Bill Thomas arranged once again for suitable decor and snacks for the annual October event, along with his ever-faithful supporter and Lions Club Member Diane Stewart.  Our blood drive marketing savvy has increased - we announced the drive in the Mariposa Gazette.  In previous years, the blood drive operation was set up inside the community center.  This year the Central California Blood Center's Bloodmobile was parked just outside, making the community center available for snacks and socializing with donors.  Every donor receives a free t-shirt, along with complimentary orange juice and sugary snacks to reset blood sugar levels after donating.  Thanks goes to the Yosemite and El Portal communities for making the blood drive a success - we appreciate your support!

Diane and Bill at the blood drive

Central California Blood Bank Letter Fall 2012 We added a new fundraising opportunity in 2011, one we hope will become a new tradition in the Yosemite community.  Every winter holiday season, the Yosemite Lions Club sells holiday trees and wreaths in front of the Village Store in Yosemite Valley.  This year we partnered with a tree farm in Michigan - Dutchmann Tree Farms - that provides online fundraising opportunities for non-profit organizations.  By ordering a tree or wreath online from Dutchmann, the Yosemite Lions Club received a portion of the proceeds to raise funds for community projects.  We raised just over $100 with this opportunity and everyone who ordered was very pleased with their tree or wreath.  We hope to spread the word about this great opportunity since purchasing a holiday tree and having it delivered to Yosemite with absolutely NO SHIPPING FEES seemed like a holiday gift in itself!  We'd like to thank Dutchmann Tree Farms for helping us help the Yosemite community.

After everyone took trips to the High Sierra in December and January due to the lack of snow, we realized that El Portal's Spring Fling is just around the corner in April.  The Yosemite Lions Club annually hosts a fundraising pancake breakfast at this event and we hope to have more details soon.  Soon after Spring Fling, the club will be sponsoring the Yosemite Hiking for a Cure team for the American Cancer Society Relay for Life fundraiser held in Mariposa on May 19, 2012.  Want to join our team and help fight cancer?  Check out our Team Page for details and if you can't join, consider donating to this worthy cause.

As always, we look forward to our summer fundraising events, the Mosquito Festival in Yosemite Valley and the Golf Tournament in Wawona.  If you've attended these events and have ideas or fond memories, we'd love to hear from you!  Don't forget to find us and "like" us on facebook, too.

Buy a Holiday Tree from Yosemite Lions Club and have it shipped to your home FREE!

This holiday season we have a new way to spread cheer and raise funds for the Yosemite Lions Club with an online source that sells holiday trees and wreaths with FREE shipping!  Dutchman Tree Farms offers the green2green fundraising program that allows non-profit organizations to benefit from sales of trees and wreaths at no cost to the organization.  We are registered with the green2green program and will receive $10 for each tree and $5 for each wreath sold.  Dutchman starts taking orders on October 1st with a deadline of December 15th, where you choose your ship date from now until December.  Shipping details will be included with your order.

Items available:

Cut Fraser Fir 6-7 ft   $64.95

Cut Table Top Tree 3-4 ft  $39.95

Decorated Wreath 22"  $34.95

To order, visit the Dutchman Tree Farms website at:

www.dutchmantreefarms.com and use the code YLCCA on the green2green page, or use this direct link:

http://www.dutchmantreefarms.com/organization/YLCCA

Live container trees are also shown but they cannot be shipped to California.  You will find these prices to be competitive with local tree lots and the free shipping makes this an attractive option for Yosemite community dwellers.  Keep in mind that anyone can order through the website, not just the Yosemite community, so please pass the link and info along to anyone who may be interested in funding a good cause - including out-of-state family and friends (who may be able to order live container trees according to their state regulations).  Now go out and spread some holiday cheer!

Don't Be Scared - Giving Blood is Easy This October!

Please join us for the Yosemite Lions Club Annual Fall Blood Drive in El Portal at the community hall on Wednesday, October 26th.  As always, all donors will receive a free t-shirt along with orange juice and doughnuts!  The Central California Blood Center's Bloodmobile will be on hand to accept your donations.  Give the gift of life by donating blood this month.

Sucessful Summer Fundraising Events for the Yosemite Lions Club

Another summer has come and gone in the Sierra Nevada and we here at the Yosemite Lions Club want to thank the Yosemite community for supporting our two biggest fundraising events: the Mosquito Festival in Yosemite Valley and the annual Wawona Golf Tournament at the Wawona Hotel.  Though rain threatened and finally arrived during the afternoon BBQ dinner and raffle, the golf tournament raised $6000 for community projects.  Though the club regularly supports the Yosemite Child Care Center in Yosemite Valley, this year the center became a focus of fundraising as the outdoor play area and equipment was destroyed during the late spring snowstorms.  In addition to the funds generated by the golf tournament, the Mosquito Festival also raised $4000.  Thanks to you, the Yosemite Lions Club can provide support to the Child Care Center and other community projects such as scholarships for college students and supporting sight-impaired citizens.

Not only do we support worthy causes by sponsoring events, we also provide the opportunity to win prizes such as the week's stay in a house in Hawaii at the Mosquito Festival and dining certificates for the Ahwahnee Dining Room and the Mountain Room restaurant at Yosemite Lodge.  You can contribute to your community and have fun doing it!

The Lions Club is grateful to DNC Parks & Resorts at Yosemite for partnering with all our fundraising events, but we'd especially like to thank the food & beverage staff at Yosemite Lodge for providing the dinner at the Mosquito Festival and the Wawona Hotel staff for facilitating the golf tournament.  The Club would also like to thank all the business partners and friends who contributed raffle prizes, and the community members who attend and make the fundraising possible.  We hope to see you next year at these and other great Yosemite events!

Mosquito Festival Today in Yosemite Valley!

We hope to see you in Yosemite Valley today for tri-tip dinner and the Best Raffle in the Known World to benefit Yosemite Child Care Center: Yosemite Mosquito Festival 2011

Two Great Summer Events in Yosemite National Park Sponsored by the Yosemite Lions Club!

Each summer, the Yosemite Lions Club sponsors two fundraising events in Yosemite National Park for various projects supported by the club.  This year, the Mosquito Festival in Yosemite Valley and the Annual Yosemite Lions Club Golf Tournament at Wawona will raise funds specifically for the Yosemite Child Care Center in Yosemite Valley.  We had wild weather this past winter in Yosemite and the child care center experienced structural damage in their outdoor playground.  We hope to raise funds to support the installation of a new playground structure to benefit all of the local children that utilize the center.

The 59th Annual Mosquito Festival will take place on Wednesday, August 10th at the Yosemite Valley School.  Tickets include a tri-tip beef dinner for $12, a vegetarian dinner for $10, a kid's dinner for $6 and a senior's dinner for $10.  In addition to individual tickets, we are offering a family rate of 4 tickets for $30 and a couple rate of $20 for two.  Besides dinner, the Best Raffle in the Known World will take place at the festival, including a week's stay at a vacation home in Hawaii.  Tickets will be available for purchase in advance from Yosemite Lions Club members, raffle tickets available the day of the event.  Come celebrate the exodus of mosquitoes from Yosemite Valley at the 59th annual Mosquito Festival and support a good cause.

Summer's other great event, the Golf Tournament, takes place Saturday, September 10th at the Wawona Hotel golf course.  The tournament includes a BBQ dinner and the Second Best Raffle in the Known World.  See the registration form below to participate and watch this page for more details.  Hope to see you at both events!

Yosemite Lions Club Golf Tournament 2011

Relay for Life with Yosemite Lions Club

Lions Club President Kym, Lion Teri, Lions Club Treasurer Yolanda and Lion Alison at the Mariposa Relay for Life

"Yosemite Hiking for a Cure", the Yosemite Lions Club sponsored fundraising team for the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life, raised $4130 for cancer research in this year's relay.  Team Captain and Lions Club member Patti Burgess congratulates all of her team members on a job well-done: "It was a privilege to be your team captain this year.  Thank you everyone for not only meeting, but exceeding our team goal of $2,500.00."

The Relay for Life is a 24 hour event that is hosted in various venues across the country.  Locally, the event takes place at the Mariposa Fairgrounds, where walkers (or runners!) circle the track at scheduled times during the 24 hour period to raise funds by asking friends and family to sponsor their time on the track with donations.  Events include music and movies, raffles, a drag queen contest (Miss Relay 2011), and a Luminaria Ceremony where individuals who have suffered from cancer may be recognized with a customized luminaria - a candlelit bag that is decorated with an individual tribute.  The luminarias are staged around the entire track and lit at sunset, while the ceremony consists of speakers, live music, and a reading of the names on each luminaria.  Relay participants light candles of their own and walk the track during the name reading.

Team Captain Patti and Lion Kym light luminarias on the track.

The "Yosemite Hiking for a Cure" team consisted of more than just Lions Club members.  We send a warm thank you to our twenty-three team members from all walks of the Yosemite community: Team Captains Patti Burgess and Pat Reilly, Kurt Anderson, Annette Catamec, Yolanda Cheley, Jacqui Coffman, Christy Contreras, Marty Fazio, Michelle Hansen, Megan Hooper, Audrey Lanting, Joe Lewis, Jennifer Lipsinsky, Maddie Moore, Sean Pence, Eric Popoe, Sarah Rosenfeld, Danny Schaible, Bill Thomas, Melisa Tovar, Teri Tudela, Kym Wright-Youngdale and Katie Zepp.  Special thanks to Patti, Teri and Kym for sticking it out for the 24 hours, sleeping in a tent and walking in the middle of the night!

Overall, the Mariposa Relay for Life raised $70,000 for cancer research with Yosemite Hiking for a Cure being the third most successful fundraising team.  Our team also included the fourth most successful fundraiser for the entire event: Kym Wright-Youngdale with $1444.  The Yosemite Lions Club sponsors successful fundraising events with the dedicated assistance of the Yosemite community, providing funds and opportunity for community organizations and individuals.  Join us year-round for fundraising events in various locations throughout the Yosemite area, and check back often with the Yosemite Lions Club blog for the current event schedule.