Welcome Lion Joe!

PDG Lion Andy Lilliston, Lion Joe Salvas, and Lion Horace Johnson

We welcomed a new member to our club this evening.  Lion Joe Salvas was a Lion before for more than 10 years but had left lionism for a few years.  Now he is back and a member of the Apex Lions Club.  Pictured left to right are PDG Lion Andy Lilliston, Lion Joe Salvas and Lion Horace Johnson.  Lion Andy performed the installation ceremony and Lion Horace is Lion Joe’s sponsor.

Afterwards, PDG Lion Andy gave a presentation on Camp Dogwood since he is one of the co-chairs along with Lion Don Henry.  He thanked the Apex club for being so faithful in selling 3 books of raffle tickets per member every year.  The proceeds from the raffle tickets go to support the efforts at Camp Dogwood primarily in upkeep and maintenance of the facility.

Since 1967, Camp Dogwood for the Blind & Visually Impaired has been a beacon of service to citizens from all over North Carolina. This summer destination provides a wonderful and therapeutic vacation retreat for persons with blindness or visual impairment.  Every summer, up to 880 campers enjoy weekly stays with numerous recreational and entertaining activities. Our guests enjoy fun and relaxation while developing friendships with each other staff, and volunteers.

There are 10 weeks of camps each year.  One week is just for kids but the other nine are open for adults as well.  The activities include things like: boating, fishing, tubing, karaoke, horse riding, miniature golfing, crafts, and much more.  This camp provides an opportunity for blind or visually impaired people to do “normal” things for a week with the assistance of a sighted person as needed.  It also provides a unique opportunity to enjoy life with others like themselves which creates some very special bonding and friendships.

For Lions it provides us a unique opportunity to help the people we love to serve in very practical ways.  We can do this by volunteering to help in a camp setting or even by volunteering for the work week each year by performing some maintenance work to prepare the camp for the season.  Each year the lions volunteer close to $40,000 worth of effort.  That is money that can be spent on other (better) things!  Andy said that “the value that Camp Dogwood and the Lions that support it provides to the blind and visually impaired is immeasurable.”