Annual Banquet 2019

This year the Apex Lions Club celebrates our 82nd anniversary! We have so much to celebrate and be thankful for. Lion Horace was our master of ceremonies as usual. We began by introducing our widows, CAPA and Scouts. After that we enjoyed a meal and then Lion Horace shared some of the accomplishments we have made this past year. For example we had our 40th year supporting the Apex High School Relays, donated lots of money to Lions Club International Fund (LCIF) as well as North Carolina Lions, Inc. (NCLI), donated funds to Hurricane Dorian relief efforts, Campaign 100 (also supporting LCIF), Apex Police Departments Shop With A Cop, Troop 209 Eagle Scout projects, and even helped a 4 year old girl in Apex purchase a needed prosthetic eye (she had eye cancer – more on that later). After that we got some updates about the Fair Booth in October.

Each year the Apex Lions Club honors a Lion with the William Jennings Booth Lion Of The Year award. This award goes to the Lion who worked the hardest on projects throughout the year. The award is presented to the recipient by last years winner. This year’s recipient has always been a very active Lion. They have served as a President as well as a Zone Chair and Region Chair. This person was a transfer from another club and has been engaged with our club activities since day one. This year she volunteered to take six shifts at the Fair and worked before and after despite having a broken toe! Congratulations Lion Pat Nemmers!

Some additional awards were presented to Lion John Lynde by Past District Governor Wayne Faber. The awards presented were for certificates of appreciation for having served as District Chair of the IT Committee as well as serving as Zone Chairman. And Lion John was also presented with a Sid Scruggs Beacon Of Hope Lighthouse award which honors individuals for their continuing support of the visually impaired campers attending the annual Camp Dogwood summer program.

The last award of the evening went to Lion Bill Booth. Lion Bill’s father (William Jennings Booth) was a founding member of the Apex Lions club and is who the Lion Of The Year award is named after. Lion Bill was also, himself, a Boy Scout in Troop 209 when it first began (the Apex Lions is the charter organization for Troop 209). He shared how he was raised as a Lion and how his father believed that besides his business and church, the Lions was an absolute priority in his life. We are forever grateful for both of these fine men. Lion Bill Booth was made a Life Member of the Apex Lions Club this evening. Congratulations Lion Bill!