NORTH BATTLEFORD — North Battleford Lions was chartered on Feb. 16, 1954, sponsored by the Saskatoon Downtown Lions Club.
While the stats for Saskatchewan Lions Clubs now include the sad statistic of clubs that have folded, North Battleford Lions Club has stood the test of time and is marking 70 years as a service club in the Battlefords.
The most recent Battlefords members who are listed on the Saskatchewan Lions Hall of Fame include inductions from 2021-2011 of Past District Governor Tom Schwab from the Historic Battleford Club, along with Lion Gilbert “Gib” Volk of the North Battleford Club.
Tyler Jess, spokesperson for the Battlefords Lions Club said there are 12 active members at this time.
“We donate to Battlefords Union Hospital (BUH), free public skating, and local special needs assistance. Internationally we donate to Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) and Living Faith Chapel (LFC) guide dogs as well as STARS ambulance,” said Jess.
The Lions Club also donates big print Reader’s Digest subscriptions to local care homes and libraries as part of the Lions Canada commitment to the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) initiatives.
The community service club also undertakes raffles, with the help of local business sponsorship and prize donations. The club will once again be doing Christmas cakes, as a fundraiser, coming up in October.
“Challenges are the same with every organization, not enough volunteers or people that want to be a member,” affirms Jess.
The Lions Club's major annual event is the gun/craft/toy/collectable show and sale which was held on the 3rd week in August.
The North Battleford Lions Club reconvened, starting regular meetings on the first Tuesday in September. With the club just starting up again this fall, no major events or activities are planned or finalized for the fall or winter.
Your support of the Lions Club and their fundraising efforts shows their members that you appreciate their work and the long-term commitment they have made to the North Battleford community.
