Tag Archives: experience

The Start of the 2018 Camping Season

31 Thursday May 2018

Posted by in Lions Camp, News, Special Events

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Pack your bags, grab the sunscreen and let’s get ready to camp! We are officially less lions-pride_sunset-at-campthan ten days away from the start of the 2018 camping season at Wisconsin Lions Camp, and we couldn’t be more excited. For the past 60+ years, nearly 1300 campers with vision, hearing, mild cognitive disabilities and Type 1 and 2 diabetes travel to Rosholt for the adventure of a lifetime.

Below you will find the 2018 schedule:

Block One

June 10-15                       Adults who are Blind or Visually Impaired

June 17-22                       Children with Type I & II Diabetes

June 24-29                       Children with Type I & II Diabetes

July 1-6                             Children with Intellectual Disabilities or Educational Autism

July 8-13                           Children with Intellectual Disabilities or Educational Autism

July 15-20                         Staff Transition Week

 

Block Two

July 22-27                          Children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

July 29-August 3               Children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

August 5-10                       Children who are Blind or Visually Impaired

August 12-17                     Adults 18-25 with Intellectual Disabilities or Educational Autism (by invitation only)

August 20-24                     Adults who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (July 20)

During their week away, campers have the chance to create a comprehensive program built around their interests. Overnight camping, canoeing, hiking, swimming, sailing, kayaking, paddle boarding, archery and crafts make up the daily activities that take place at camp.

The goals of camp are to assist each child in the areas of self-confidence, interdependence, environmental awareness, but above all, to have a fun, safe experience combined with camaraderie and friendship.

What do our campers and Lions Pride have in common? We both look forward to the camping season all year long. Did you know that when the Wisconsin Lions Camp was first opened, it was funded primarily by Lions Club donations? In the last decade or so, however, expenses for camp and all other WLF statewide projects have increased drastically.

Many might be surprised to learn that combatting rising costs was the primary reason for the birth of our organization. Read the whole story here. Today, the Wisconsin Lions Camp is one of the statewide WLF projects that receive financial support from the Lions Pride Endowment Fund. We’re proud to work alongside both donors to help create lifetime camp experiences for both now and future generations.  We sincerely appreciate your support as we continue on to preserve, protect and provide.

 

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Our Role as Santa

21 Thursday Dec 2017

Posted by in Giving Tips, Holidays, Lions Camp, Special Events

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Let’s play a game. Imagine you are six years old and it is December 21, 19XX (you fill in Magic Santathe blank), can you remember how you felt this time of year? Let’s see if our description matches your imagination: you knew that Christmas was only days away, so you were on your best behavior because Santa was watching. As December 25 crept closer and closer, you could hardly contain your excitement. Soon enough, Christmas Eve would arrive. You would put out some milk and cookies, brush your teeth and get to bed quickly – only to spend the night watching the clock. You just couldn’t wait for Christmas Day.

Sadly, as adults, the magic of Christmas seems to fade a little more each year. Santa no longer represents a symbol of joy and the celebration just becomes a season of more obligations. Fortunately, the magic does begin to reappear as we have children of our own, but then our roles change from excited child to excited parent. We also spend December 24 making preparations and barely sleeping because we are too anxious to watch our children eagerly open their gifts. We have come to discover a different kind of magic – the magic of giving. But again the cycle continues as our children grow, and the sense of wonder begins to disappear.

Luckily, as supporters of Lions Pride, we are in somewhat of a unique position. All supporters of Lions Pride get to play the part of Santa all year round. How? By giving children from all over the state of Wisconsin the gift of experience. In 2017, over 150 special children were given the opportunity to have the week of their lives out in the woods with kids just like them. They were able to sleep in cabins, roast marshmallows, learn archery, swim laps in Lions Lake and enjoy everything nature has to offer. Of course, they were also able to develop self-confidence, interdependence, social skills and outdoor recreational skills – all at no cost to their families.

The gift may not be beautifully wrapped under a bright, full tree, but we know in our hearts that it’s a gift that keeps on giving all year long. And none of these accomplishments would be possible without the help of you. Our donors are the lifeblood of our organization and we never tire of saying thank you for your support. Although our biological children may be grown, we look forward to playing Santa for many years to come. Thank you for helping us carry out our mission to preserve, provide and protect Lions Camp and all other WLF statewide projects.

The Lions Pride office will be closed the week of December 25, to celebrate Christmas with our families. Wishing you and yours a very merry Christmas!

The Father of Wisconsin Lions Camp

15 Thursday Jun 2017

Posted by in Holidays, Lions Camp, Special Events

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Roll out the barbecue – it’s time to celebrate Dad!

Lion Ray Hempel

Sunday marks the day to honor the men in our lives with a day dedicated just to him. With Father’s Day right around the corner, we thought it would be the perfect excuse to honor an exceptional man in the Wisconsin Lions community – Ray Hempel, the father and originator of Wisconsin Lions Camp.

You may have already heard this story a time or two, but it’s one that we think can always be retold. The year was 1952; Lion Ray Hempel was visiting with two 12-year old boys at an area hospital. He asked them if they had ever attended a camp. One boy replied, “Blind kids can’t go to outdoor camp and stuff like that.”

Others may have just acknowledged the response, apologized and changed the subject, but Lion Ray was not that man. Instead, he took those words to heart and began visualizing a camp that would provide an outdoor experience for those two boys and others like them.

His background in Lions and Boy Scouts, as well as his love of camping told him exactly what he needed to do. He needed to persuade the Wisconsin Lions to start a camp for blind children.

A few years later, Lion Ray and the Poy Sippi Lions petitioned the District Governors for a permanent camp location at the 1955 Wisconsin State Convention. At the 1956 convention, a 240-acre property was purchased in Rosholt, and the Wisconsin Lions Camp was born. Lion Ray served as the first camp director and was proud to be an integral part of its development

Today, the camp has expanded to serve even more children with special needs, including vision and hearing impairments, mild cognitive disabilities and Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes, all at no cost to their families.

With the first week of summer camp starting on Monday, we think there’s no better time to reflect on the man who started it all. Who knew a chance comment would lead to such big change. Since its inception Lions Camp has offered the week of a lifetime to nearly 70,000 campers. There’s no question in our minds that Ray Hempel was the epitome of a Wisconsin Lion.

Happy Father’s Day from Lions Pride!

Donate Your Deer Hide to Wisconsin Lions Camp

10 Thursday Nov 2016

Posted by in Giving Tips, Lions Camp, News, Special Events

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The countdown is on! T-9 days until the official start of Wisconsin deer gun hunting deer-in-sunlightseason.

If you’re like more than 600,000 hunters all over the state, you are likely anxiously awaiting the arrival of next Friday morning. You’ve been diligently studying your trail cam images, already cleared your travel path and prepared your stand for a weekend in the great outdoors. You’ve been dreaming about hanging a set of beautiful antlers and a fridge full of venison to get you through the long winter, but have you thought about what you’ll do with your hide?

Again, like many other Wisconsin hunters, we hope you’ll consider donating your hide to Wisconsin Lions to help send a child to camp. Each deer-hunting season since 1991, Lions Club volunteers have set up collection sites all over the state. What started as a relatively small operation has grown immensely over the past couple decades. Today, there are over 175 collection sites from Ashland all the way down to Beloit. In recent years, the deer hide collection has raised anywhere from $75,000 to $95,000 for the Wisconsin Lions Camp.

Donating is simple! Just bring your hide to a drop-off location near you. The hide will then be salted, preserved and eventually sold. Every hide donated will help send a child with special needs to camp.

Each year, we are proud to help send over one hundred children to camp, where they get the opportunity for learning, hiking, swimming, boating, crafting and so much more. With 440 acres of land and a 45-acre private lake, there is no shortage of fun. The goals of Lions Camp are to assist each child in the development of self-confidence, interdependence, social skills, outdoor recreational skills and environmental awareness; but most importantly, for the child to have a fun, safe, memorable experience.

Give back this hunting season by donating your hide to Wisconsin Lions Camp. From all of us at Lions Pride, thank you for continued support over the years, and good luck to all hunters!

 

Deadline for Thrivent Choice® Dollars Soon Approaching

03 Thursday Mar 2016

Posted by in Fundraising, Giving Tips, Lions Camp, News

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LPEF LogoFinances seem to be on everyone’s mind this time of year. Every day, we get a little closer to April 15. If you have not already filed your 2015 taxes, you are probably busy getting all of your documents in order, to bring to your accountant but don’t let this important date distract you from other nearing deadlines such as one happening on March 31 for Thrivent Financial members. The last day of the month marks the end of the 2015 year to for members to direct their Choice Dollars to qualifying organizations.

If you aren’t already familiar with Thrivent Financial, they are a not-for-profit organization that helps Christians be wise with their money and live generously. In addition to offering life insurance, annuities and mutual funds, they offer several opportunities for their members to make a difference in their communities.

One such program is called Thrivent Choice® where eligible members are designated Choice Dollars that can be directed to enrolled organizations. Last year, 1699 churches and organizations in the South Wisconsin region received over $3.7 million in Choice Dollars charitable grant funds.

Of course, there is a deadline for any program, and this particular one is only 28 days away on March 31, 2016. If you have unused Thrivent Choice Dollars, we would be honored if you chose to support the Lions Pride Endowment Fund. Your Choice Dollars will help preserve, provide and protect all Wisconsin Lions Foundation projects. Our largest project, the Wisconsin Lions Camp, is dedicated to a week of summer fun for children who are blind or visually impaired, deaf or hard of hearing, cognitively disabled and children with type I or type II diabetes. The goal of Lions Camp is to assist every child in the development of self-confidence, interdependence, social skills, outdoor recreational skills and environmental awareness, but most importantly to for the child to have a fun, memorable experience.

Thanks to the support of our donors, 140 children will benefit from the life altering experience one week at Lions Camp affords them. With your help, we can continue helping children with special needs have the experience of a lifetime.

Thrivent Choice