Yosemite Lions Club Helps Raise $3724.00 for Cancer Research!

On Saturday, May 19, the Yosemite Lions Club participated in the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life to raise funds for cancer research. The club supported the Yosemite Hiking for a Cure team at the Mariposa fairgrounds by walking the track, hosting a fundraising bingo game and raffling gift bags. Here's a summary from Lion Patti, team co-captain:

"Thank you to everyone for your participation and support in the 2012 Relay For Life.  The event raised $59,222.04 to date.

In the team category, Yosemite Hiking For A Cure came in second place with $3,724 raised!  Our team goal was $2,500.  Great work everyone!  We not only met, but exceeded our goal for 2012.  This was not only made possible by our sponsor contributions from the Yosemite Lion's Club and DNC P&R at Yosemite, but also by some great fundraising from our team members, both individually and collectively.

In the individual fundraising category, Kym earned second place having collected $1,450.00.  Great job Kym!

Congratualtions to everyone for a great Relay!  A big thank you to Teri, our co-captain. She was there when I needed her facilitating fundraising and logistics!  Bingo was a successful fundraiser.  Kudos to Teri and Kym!  You both had the patience and resolve to walk the track to get the word out and bring in participants. Kym, your years of participation in this event, and fundraising capabilities, are an inspiration to all of us. Thank you for your enormous contribution!  Emily, thank you for providing our shade for this event, or we would have surely wilted under the heat of the Sun!  Pat, Audrey and Kurt, Michelle, and Alison, you are here, year after year, and without your participation and contributions to our team, we wouldn't have one.  Thank you!  I will follow up with our newest team-members to congratulate and give thanks for their participation.

The wrap up party is currently scheduled for Thursday, June 21st with time and place forthcoming from the Committee.  I hope to see you there!"

Who Likes Pancakes for Breakfast?!

Every year at the Spring Fling in El Portal, the Yosemite Lions Club hosts a fundraising Pancake Breakfast to support the El Portal School. Starting at 7:00AM, prior to the start of the El Portal Spring Run-Off 5k and 10k run, the club will serve pancakes with syrup, butter, sausage, fruit and milk or juice to drink. Breakfast is included with race registration, however, if you are a spectator with breakfast needs, you too can eat breakfast for a donated sum. Contact information for the Run-Off is included below:

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