What do we actually do?
Well, if you have read the About Us page you have already seen we do quite a lot. Our motto is “We Serve!”. And many people say that “LIONS” stands for “Loving Individuals Offering Needed Services”. Those are both certainly good overview statements of our purpose and mission. But you might be wondering what we do more “specifically”. Even right here in Apex we do quite a few things. Our web site is an excellent resource for understanding what we have done recently. Here are some examples of the kinds of things we do:
Projects & Services
Serve the needs of our community in Apex, NC
- Free Vision Screenings
- Eyeglass Collections around town (sites)
- Apex Lions Relays – with Apex High School
- Boy Scout Troop 209
- Cub Scout Pack 312
- Leo program at Panther Creek High School
- Annual Scholarships at several Apex area High Schools
- Citizens Assisting Police in Apex (CAPA)
- Western Wake Crisis Ministry Food Pantry
- Apex Police – Special Olympics & fundraising
- Apex Fire Department – Book bags and Fire Safety Literature in schools
- Roadside cleanups
Services for Visually Impaired People (“VIP”s)
- Provide financial assistance for eye exams, glasses, hearing assistance devices, canes, leader dogs
- Free meal at the State Fair
- Support for the Governor Morehead School for the Blind
- Broom sales (supports employment for the blind)
Service Beyond Apex
- Donations for Disaster Relief efforts (Ex. Flood and Tornado victims in other states, etc.)
- Camp Dogwood – Financial and volunteer support
- Brighter Visions – Financial support for all programs
- VIP Fishing Tournament – Financial and volunteer support
- Boys & Girls Homes of NC
- Etc.
Fundraising
State Fair
This is our primary fundraising activity for the year. We have had a concession booth at the NC State Fair since 1943. This event generates virtually all of the funds we use for the programs listed above. You can read more about the State Fair project here.
Fish Fry
Every year in March we hold a Fish Fry at the CC Jones Community Building. Typically we use the proceeds from this event to support one or two beneficiaries. Some examples from recent years are: A five year old girl named Amber who needed a new prosthetic eye which she had lost due to eye cancer, a former Apex police officer who suffered a debilitating brain injury and could no longer support his family, and a man who needed a pancreas transplant due to diabetes. You can read more about some of these on our web site.