Diana Moore
The Chandler Lions are returning to help you celebrate the Fourth of July! What the Lions, under the direction of coordinator Lion John Stewart, have planned for you this year is sparking all kinds of interest.
Just follow the parking signs to Tumbleweed Park in Chandler (cost of parking is $5). Bring your blankets and settle in for a full day’s celebration beginning at 4:00 p.m. and running until 10:30 p.m.
There will be free games for kids provided by Funrunners (dunk tank, water slide, rock wall…); new or gently used sneaker toss organized by HHS Leos and Chandler Lions; food vendors cooking kettle corn, hamburgers, hot dogs, grilled cheese, pizza and fry bread; non-food vendors selling jewelry, face painting, crafts, skin care and clothing; and a beer garden. Just as the sun begins to salute the evening, three bands will take center stage:
6:15-7:00 Travis Fertz
7:10-8:05 Vinyl’s End
8:20-9:30 Plastic Glady’s
Lighting up the sky with the last chords of music, what everyone has waited for all day – fireworks (9:30 p.m.)!
Bring a new or gently used pair of sneakers to toss into the barrel and win a candy bar! All sneakers will be donated to Chandler’s Clothes Cabin – it’s a win-win situation.
Don’t forget – the Chandler Lions will be collecting all your used eyeglasses and hearing aids. Look for the box near the Chandler Lion’s information booth.
The Chandler Lions celebrated their 75th anniversary this year and what a busy year it has been.
They provided 181 pairs of eye glasses to Chandler’s school age students.
They donated $500 from a yard sale to the Leader Dog Program.
They gifted monies to baseball and soccer leagues at Snedigar and Arrowhead Parks.
They spent the majority of their December weekends downtown taking Santa pictures and handing out candy canes.
They worked with the HHS Leos to stuff and delivered 150 stockings to Chandler’s Clothes Cabin and battered women.
They sponsored several young people through scholarships to college and special summer programs.
These donations were made possible by Lions and Leos volunteering hundreds of hours to raise funds through the sale of food and drink at Snedigar and Arrowhead Park snack shacks, Chandler’s annual Train Days, Halloween Spooktacular, Rhythm Festival and Tumbleweed Tree lighting.
The HHS Leos is a service organization that is sponsored by the Chandler Lions. They work alongside the Lions to raise funds which find their way back into the community. They also pick-up trash along the section of Arizona Avenue that the Lions have adopted. In addition, they organize and run the HHS recycle program.
It is Leos who hopefully become future Lions and the Chandler Lions are ecstatic to announce that they have 13 former HHS Leos who have already become Lions! They are currently enrolled at ASU and the UA – mostly juniors for the 2014-15 school years. These young people pledged 30 hours of volunteering per year and all 13 have kept that promise; however, one young Lion, Isabel Ticlo, just received recognition for 100+ hours of service! This is in addition to working as the social chair for the ASU American Women’s Business Assn, Camp Carey director, a WPC 101 Facilitator and Pen Pals volunteer. Oh yes, she also works part-time at SunBird Golf Resort and was the chair for the 2014 Lions yard sale. Two of our former Leos have stepped up and will hold Chandler Lion officer positions for the 2014-15 year too.
The Chandler Lions, under retiring President RuthJon Wick, plans to go out with a bang on the Fourth, but she’ll be back with the rest of the club and Leos in September to volunteer on your behalf. If you are interested in joining our organization, you can pick-up information at our Fourth of July Information Booth. Ask any member, or contact RuthJon at 480-895-3569. Check out our Facebook page too!