Our History

Volunteer Opportunities

Our members engage in a variety of volunteer activities, such as:

• Ducks for Dogs Raffle: This event supports the B.C and Alberta Guide Dogs and our focus is on autistic children ages 3-10 in the Vernon Area
• Annual Golf Tourney  supports Camp Winfield in Lake Country which provides overnight camps, online camps, and family camps. Camp Winfield focuses on creating experiences that instill confidence in children and adults, emphasizing abilities rather than disabilities. Their programs accommodate campers, from children, up to age 49, with developmental challenges, anxiety disorders, Down Syndrome, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Cerebral Palsy, and epilepsy/seizure disorders, .
• Vision Screening: We conduct vision screenings at elementary schools in the Greater Vernon area, including Coldstream, Armstrong, Enderby, Lumby, and Falkland.
• Used Eyeglass Collection: We collect used eyeglasses at all vision centres and optometrists in the Vernon area. These glasses are sorted, cleaned, and refurbished by CLERC in Calgary before being sent to third-world countries to assist children and adults who cannot afford proper eye care.

• Fundraising Activities 

Our members participate in many fundraising activities, during the year, including but not limited to: 

• Our Ducks for Dogs Race is a raffle and fun duck race in Polson Park, usually in July each year and the funds raised through ticket sales go to help fund a service dog for an autistic child in the Vernon area. In the last two years we have seen two dogs provided to autistic children, and this year we hope to see as many as two additional dogs placed with families.
• We encourage all golfers to join in the fun at the Vernon Lions Annual Golf Tourney for a fun day at the course and participate in our Silent and Live Auction events during the evening after enjoying a great dinner and great camaraderie with like minded people.  Camp Winfield is our fund recipient.
• Charity Poker Tournaments  The Vernon Lions Club holds three events a year and the funds raised for the last two years have been donated to the City of Vernon for the Barrier Free Change Room Facilities at Lakeview Peanut Pool and Park.  This year it is our intention to provide an adjustable bed to assist caregivers and family members with changing into, and out of, bathing attire so that people with disabilities can use the pool too!

Winter Carnival Parade Float

The Vernon Lions Club - Vernon, BC had so much fun making the float and being in the Vernon Winter Carnival 80's parade. Our float included our three main events, Poker, The Golf Tournament for Camp Winfield and Ducks for Dogs. Big shout out to Allan Louis for another awesome design. A huge thank you to Greg Sluggett and Rona for the donation of wood for the float! Super job everyone!

A special thanks to Westwood Electric for their support for the trailer and the construction space. It was great to be a part of the Winter Carnival Parade and share the laughter with fellow Lions and the public.

If you are interested in joining Lions or want to see what we are about, please click on the link below at [vernonlionsclub.ca] to find out more about Vernon Lions in the community, or find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Vernonlionsclub1945 

Please share our posts so more can find out about Vernon Lions Club in your community

On February 7th 2025 Vernon Lions Club presented Debbie Sparling from the T1D Hub with a cheque for $800.00 to assist funding for activities for their clients and families. Presenting the cheque is Lion Trudy Parke in the Centre, and Lion Shauna Lyon on the right. 

Also included in the Acceptance of the cheque is Carrie Lemay and her diabetic alert service dog from the Lions Foundation of Canada.  Carrie provided a brief presentation on how Freckles works with her and her diabetes and as it happened Carrie had an episode of low blood sugar during the talk. We got to see a live example of how Freckles reacts with knowing when Carrie is about to have an episode and assists with telling her that she needs to have some juice or other food that will bring her levels back up. Later Carrie told us a story of another episode where Freckles actually saved her life when she had an episode at home and had passed out from the low blood sugar level. 

Debbie Sparling told us about the T1D Group as a group of passionate people who create and host community events for T1D families and kids throughout the year in the Okanagan. When a child is diagnosed in the North Okanagan- we deliver a gift basket of things they might need and fun things and info about our community. If we are given consent that we can contact them - we text or call them to see what support they need.

“We hold educational diabetes fairs, park days, bowling evenings, summer camps, mental health sessions, sledding afternoons and general everyday check-ins to make sure everyone is ok! We have babysitting evenings so parents can have time to themselves without worrying about their children.
We are available for other gatherings of someone needs support.
We have done this for almost 4 years and our T1D community family is doing much better because of it.” Said Debbie Sparling

For more information on the T1D Hub please contact Debbie at 250-503-4836. Find the Okanagan T1D hub on Facebook- search for “Vernon & Area T1 Families”

Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Vernonlionsclub1945 

During the year 2024 Vernon Lions Club provided assistance in the total amount of several thousand dollars to clients in the community that required vision screening or eyeglasses. These clients were adults and children that required assistance but could not afford the cost of the exams or glasses. The Vernon Lions Club works closely with local optometrists, Child and Family Services, and other local groups to try to provide assistance where desperately needed. 

As part of our mandate to assist with Vision, the Vernon Lions Club is also involved in recycling used eyeglasses for the Canadian Lions Eyeglass Recycling Centre (CLERC). Eyeglasses that are recyclable can be dropped off at most optometrist or vision centres in Vernon. 

More information on Eyeglass Recycling can be found on their website    clerc.ca/

Last year Vernon Lions Club recycled over 6600 pairs of eyeglasses to CLERC.

Vernon Collection Locations can be found at vernonlionsclub.ca at the bottom of the home page

More information on Eyeglass Recycling can be found on their website    clerc.ca/

We strive to build a strong sense of community by providing opportunities for social connection and personal growth.

On February 1, 2025 Vernon Lions Club hosted their eighth sold out poker tournament at the Army, Navy, Air Force Club in Vernon BC. People traveled from as far away as Kamloops for this event, it is becoming so popular. This is a charity event raising funds for the Lakeview Peanut Pool Varied Abilities Change Room which already has an aquatic chair and a lift and rails to move the chair and clients to and from their own equipment. This equipment was supplied by the Vernon Lions Club.  This year the funds being raised from our Poker Events will be to purchase an Adjustable Change Table/Bed which will allow caregivers and families the opportunity to assist client and family member in and out of bathing attire without risk of personal injury to either their clients or themselves. 

The total cost of this three year project will be over $33,000.00

Vernon Lions Club would like to thank all the participants, volunteer dealers and Lions, without whose help we would not be able to present these events.

Vernon Lions Club was involved in the original development and construction of the pool and facilities in 1958 and was very pleased to be invited back by the City of Vernon to be involved in the rebuild and renovation of the new facilities at Lakeview Peanut Pool.  

If you are interested in playing in one of our tournaments our next event is March 29, 2025. More information can be found at poker.vernonlionsclub.com

If you are interested in joining Lions or want to see what we are about, please click on the link below at [vernonlionsclub.ca] to find out more about Vernon Lions in the community, or find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Vernonlionsclub1945 

Please share our posts so more can find out about Vernon Lions Club in your community

Our Winners

They decided to chop the pot for  First and Second Place and played one hand for the trophy.

Congratulations 

Champion Karen Penaluna and Co-winner  Mersad Khatani

Pictured also is Tournament Director Lion Ron Mare

On November 29, 2024 the Vernon Lions Club attended at the FROSTival  event in downtown Vernon and our volunteers provided hot chocolate for a  donation to the attending public.  Thank you to all who came to our  booth.  The Club raised over $800.00 which will go to worthy causes for  people with disabilities in the Vernon Area.  Vernon Lions thank the  promoters of the FROSTival event for inviting us to join in the fun and  festivities.   If you are interested in joining the Vernon Lions Club  please contact  liontrudyparke@gmail.com. 

More information on the Vernon Lions Club in your community can be found at vernonlionsclub.ca 

On October 17, 2024 The Vernon Lions Club inducted two new members into its growing Club. Welcome to April Fox and Carl Sellers. You are joining a great group of community minded people who work tirelessly to help out in our Community. We look forward to working side by side with you! If you are wondering why Carl is holding his phone, his brother in Nova Scotia is his sponsor and he attended by Facetime! The miracle of modern technology!! 

If you are interested in joining Lions or just to see what we are about please click on the link below at vernonlionsclub.cato find out more about Vernon Lions in your community.

On June 22, 2024 The Vernon Lions Club proudly presented our cheque in the amount of Nineteen Thousand, Eight Hundred, and Fifty Two Dollars and 13 cents ($19,852.13) to Mike Herrling representing Camp Winfield, the Easter Seal Society camp for people with disabilities in the Okanagan area. Camp Winfield is located in Lake Country. The proceeds are from the Vernon Lions Club 6th Annual Charity Golf Tourney held in May 2024. Our next event will be on May 31, 2025 at the Vernon Golf and Country Club. Visit us at golf.vernonlionsclub.com for more information. Registration is opening soon!!