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Keeping Their Memories Alive

27 Thursday May 2021

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We likely don’t have to tell you that we are less than 48 hours away from a long weekend. We’re guessing you know that Monday is Memorial Day and the unofficial start of summer, but we thought we all could use a refresher about the origin of the federal holiday. Not to be confused with Veteran’s Day, Memorial Day is celebrated on the last Monday of May and honors the military men and women who lost their lives in the line of duty.

The holiday once known as “Decoration Day” originated in the years after WWII. The term, “Memorial Day,” did not appear until 1971. Previously, Decoration Day or Memorial Day was celebrated on May 30, regardless of the day of the week. Then in 1968, the Uniform Holidays bill was passed as a part of a move to use federal holidays to create 3-day weekends.

Each Memorial Day, the US flag is flown at half-mast from dawn until noon and volunteers around the country place flags on every gravestone in national cemeteries. A national moment of remembrance also takes place at 3 pm local time.

While last year was very much out of the ordinary, people typically celebrate with picnics, sporting events and family gatherings. As more and more Americans become fully vaccinated, we are again seeing calendars fill up with these activities again in 2021.

This Memorial Day, while you and your family are enjoying your cookouts and reunited time together, we hope that you’ll remember the origin of the federal holiday. Make it a point to keep the brave Americans who gave their lives to protect our freedom on your mind all day long.

The Lions Pride Board and Staff would like to offer a special “thank you” to all of the courageous men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice.

Our office will be closed on Monday, but we will be back on Tuesday, June 1. We wish you all a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day weekend!

United in Kindness

05 Thursday Nov 2020

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As we write this post on Wednesday evening, we are still awaiting the results of the 2020 Presidential Election. No matter where you stand politically, you are likely feeling several emotions. But rather than dwelling on this uncertainty, we thought it would make sense to preoccupy our minds for a moment or two with another ever-important topic: kindness.

Monday, November 9, marks the beginning of World Kindness Week, which preludes World Kindness Day happening on Friday, November 13. This special celebration was first started by the World Kindness Movement back in 1998.

There’s no question that we are currently experiencing division around our country, which is why we believe this celebratory week couldn’t have arrived sooner.

As Americans, we all have the right to our opinions, but sometimes this freedom can overshadow the golden virtue. The whole idea of World Kindness Week reminds us of the influential message given by Lions International President Dr. Jung-Yul Chol back in July.

He reminded us that kindness is at the very heart of service. Lions International is one of the most diverse and inclusive organizations on the planet. Our organization is made up by over 1.4 million members worldwide and includes 48,000+ clubs. We are proud to serve all people, in all places – and our great diversity allows us to provide exceptional service. Together, as Lions, we are united in kindness and diversity,

After reviewing his message, it did not take us long to realize that Lions International has a lot in common with the United States, namely our diversity. We are fortunate to be made of people of different races, religions, cultures, social backgrounds and more. All of these aspects created the foundation that helped our founding fathers claim independence.

So, as we continue to hold our breaths anxiously waiting for the week to conclude, we’d encourage you to spread International President Choi’s message. Your recipients may include friends, family members, neighbors and other people in your community, regardless of whether they echo your political beliefs.

Above all, kindness matters, especially during trying times. From all of us at Lions Pride, we’d like to wish you both patience and serenity for the remainder of the week. Please remember, this, too, shall pass.

Fun Facts to Celebrate National Taco Day

01 Thursday Oct 2020

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Hola amigos! Have you been struggling to come up with what to plan for dinner each night? Since the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, the restaurant and hospitality industry has suffered a downturn in activity, which has, sadly, brought a whole slew of issues to its workforce. Additionally, it poses extra challenges at home, including asking repeatedly asking your housemates, “What should we make for dinner?”

If you’ve also been challenged with coming up with a new meal each night, let us suggest a favorite entrée to add to the menu – tacos. Sunday, October 4, is National Taco Day, and we think it’s worth celebrating an easy supper win. We’ve compiled a list of fun facts to share with your family about the popular Tex-Mex dish:

  • Experts in the field believe that the invention of the taco was first created between 1,000 and 500 BC. Though, the early days, the taco anywhere near in the form we know and love today. Instead, it was believed to have been used as an edible spoon to rake in other food.
  • Thanks to the Chili Queens of San Antonio, tacos first came to the United States in 1905.
  • The world’s most expensive taco would set you back a whopping $25,000. The deluxe taco was made with Kobe beef, beluga caviar and served on a gold flaked taco.
  • Taco John’s was the first to trademark “Taco Tuesday” in 1989. Thirty-one years later, the company still has some claim to the phrase.
  • Part of the beloved nature of tacos is due to their great versatility and variety. A taco can be made with several different fillings, including beef, pork, chicken, seafood and more. 
  • In 2018, Americans ate over 4.5 billion tacos, equating to 775 million pounds.

What is your favorite type of taco? We’d love to hear in the comments below.

This weekend is the perfect time to enjoy everyone’s favorite Mexican dish. Happy National Taco Day from Lions Pride!

Fun Facts About Ice Cream

16 Thursday Jul 2020

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Photo Credit to Priscilla Du Preez

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream! We understand that this summer feels different from those of years past, but there is one frozen dessert that is still available and ready for you to enjoy on a hot summer day.

Sunday, June 19, is National Ice Cream Day. We thought there was no better way to commemorate this delicious unofficial holiday than sharing a collection of fun facts:

  • New Zealanders consume more ice cream per capita than any other country in the world. Americans hold the second slot.
  • Thomas Jefferson is credited with having written the first ice cream recipe in the United States. You can see a copy from the Library of Congress.
  • Vanilla is the most popular ice cream flavor in the country.
  • Chocolate syrup is the world’s favorite ice cream topping.
  • It takes about 3 gallons of milk to make one gallon of ice cream.
  • About 9% of all milk produced in the US is used exclusively for ice cream.
  • According to Ben & Jerry’s Flavor Gurus, 8 degrees to 10 degrees Fahrenheit is the ideal temperature for serving ice cream.
  • 87% of Americans have ice cream in their freezer at any given time.
  • “Brain freeze” happens when something cold touches the roof of your mouth, causing the blood vessels that run between your mouth and brain to tense up. You may be able to reduce the tension by placing your tongue on the roof of your mouth to warm up the surface.
  • NASA has said that ice cream ranks in the top three most missed foods when astronauts leave for space missions; pizza and soda also make the list.
  • 1 in 10 Americans admit to licking the bowl clean.
  • It is believed that it takes about 50 licks to finish a single scoop ice cream cone.

There you have it – a dozen fun facts about America’s favorite frozen treat. Now, we encourage you to celebrate with a scoop, whether it comes from the freezer or your favorite local shop. What do you like best about ice cream? Let us know in the comments below.

Happy National Ice Cream Day from Lions Pride!

Supporting Nurses and Other Healthcare Workers

30 Thursday Apr 2020

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Next Wednesday, May 6, is the start of Nurses Week. Now, you may be asking yourself, shouldn’t this type of celebration start at the beginning of the week? It’s, of course, customary to commemorate these types of events on a Sunday or Monday, but this celebration is a bit different. Each year, Nurses Week takes place from May 6 to May 12, regardless of the day of the week, so the final day always lands on May 12, the birth date of Florence Nightingale, who is known as the Founder of Modern Nursing.

As the number of coronavirus cases continue to spread across the United States and impact the everyday lives of residents all over the world, we can’t think of a more appropriate time to recognize nurses putting their lives on the line to save others.

In the last month, Google released a video reporting that now more than ever before, people are looking for ways to help nurses and others involved in the medical community. To help answer this question, we have a few ideas to actively support our nursing community during this uncertain time:

  1. Donate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

The need for Personal Protective Equipment grows as we discover new COVID-19 cases. Sadly, we are seeing that many facilities are ill-equipped with the gear necessary to protect our nurses and healthcare workers from catching and spreading the virus. A group of doctors started a grassroots organization to determine which facilities are in most desperate need. Remember that supplies save lives. Visit their site to see if you can help.

  1. Send a Thank You Card

If you ever received extraordinary care from a nurse at a hospital or healthcare facility, we encourage you to let them know – even if it was years ago. Although many nurses might say that they were just doing their jobs, we, as patients, know that tender care can make all the difference in the world during times of ill health. Consider sending a thank you card or handwritten note expressing your gratitude. During this pandemic, nurses are working overtime and making a number of sacrifices in their personal lives to get through the present situation, so we would be willing to be a little appreciation would help boost their morale.

  1. Stay home (if you can)

It’s been 37 days since Wisconsin issued the “Safer at Home” order, and we know that many of us are coming down with cabin fever (ourselves included). Still, it’s critical to remember the origin behind stay-at-home orders. Right now, we need to ensure that hospitals can effectively manage the number of COVID cases. Although we all miss seeing our family and friends, we encourage you to continue limiting non-essential trips to keep our healthcare workers ahead of the virus.

We don’t know where we’d be at a time like this without the dedication of our hard-working nurses. To the nurses who wear their hearts on their sleeves, run nonstop throughout long, 12-hour shifts, and continuously put others before themselves, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Please stay safe out there!

Coronavirus remain a bit of a mystery to the medical community, but experts continue to learn more and more about coronavirus each day. Here at Lions Pride, we’d like to remind you to stay up to date with the latest information by visiting the CDC Website

Celebrating National Park Week with Virtual Tours

16 Thursday Apr 2020

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Each April, the National Park Service (NPS) teams up with the National Park Foundation to celebrate America’s natural treasures. The week encourages Americans to get out and enjoy all that Mother Nature has to offer than through exploration, education and discovery. This year, of course, is different than any other year in recent memory due to the novel coronavirus.

Like many other organizations all over the country, the NPS has modified its operations by following the CDC as well as other state and local public health experts. At this time, the majority of national parks have closed their facilities and canceled their events to prevent the spread of COVID-19; however, operations are decided on a park-by-park basis.

Luckily, despite the current social distancing limitations, we all still have an opportunity to commemorate National Park Week. In 2020, NPS has placed its focus on digital experiences.

That’s right, it is still possible to visit the parks during National Park Week (April 18 to April 26); that is with the help of technology and a little imagination. Review this list of available virtual tours:

  • Clara Barton National Historic Site
    You can visit the home of founder and first president of the American Red Cross. Clara Barton’s house in Echo, Maryland, served as the first national headquarters of the organization, and was her home for the last 15 years of her life.
  • Crater National Park
    You can take a virtual trip to the deepest lake in the US. Crater National Park. Located in Southern Oregon, Crater Lake was formed by a volcanic eruption and collapse and currently holds the honor of the ninth-deepest lake in the world with the deepest measured depth coming to 1949 feet.
  • New Bedford Whaling National Park
    New Bedford, Massachusetts, was known as the capital of the 19th century whaling industry and a prominent safe haven along the Underground Railroad. You have the opportunity to take an interactive or video tour of the Nathan and Polly Johnson House, a home that welcomed and helped those traveling along the Underground Railroad.

If you don’t have time for an entire tour but are interested in a change of scenery, you might be interested to know that NPS also has live webcams placed all over the country. You can catch glimpses of the Statue of Liberty National Monument, Yellowstone National Park, Katmai National Park & Preserve and more.

We understand that life feels challenging right now, we must keep reminding ourselves that the social distancing is just a temporary setback. Before long, this period will just be a distant memory that we can look back on and be proud that we got through it together. But until that day comes, be sure to keep looking for joy – it might be right outside or in a virtual tour.

Happy Early National Park Week from Lions Pride!

 

 

 

Start of Women’s Heart Week

30 Thursday Jan 2020

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We are 30 days into the New Year, are you still working toward your resolution? Don’t worry; we’re not here to shame you into staying committed unless, of course, your goal is related to good heart health because Saturday is the start of Women’s Heart Week.

The Women’s Heart Foundation has dedicated the next seven days to promoting prevention, education, symptoms awareness and early intervention of heart disease. You might be surprised to learn that heart disease is the number one threat to women over the age of 34. According to the CDC, heart disease is the leading cause of death of women in the United States. In 2017, heart disease killed approximately 299,578 women – amounting to about 1 in every 5 female deaths. Most women are unaware of their high risk and fail to recognize symptoms.

Women today are, arguably, busier than ever before. They are continually juggling careers, community service, family life as well as many other caregiving responsibilities. Sadly, because of the lack of downtime, women’s symptoms go unnoticed, especially if they are mild. Next week is the perfect opportunity for women to take time for themselves and learn more about the disease.

The first line of defense is to schedule a doctor’s appointment. When meeting with your doctor, discuss getting your cholesterol checked and determining or not a diabetes check would be beneficial. The following tips can also help you reduce your risks:

  • Know your blood pressure – there are no symptoms associated with high blood pressure, so it’s essential to have it checked regularly. Uncontrolled blood pressure is more likely to lead to heart disease.
  • Quit smoking
  • Limit your alcohol intake
  • Make healthy food choices
  • Effectively manage stress levels

We were also shocked to learn about the prevalence of heart disease among women in our society. Whether you are a woman or care deeply for a woman, we encourage you to take some time next week to learn more about the disease. As one of the hardest-working muscles in the human body, the heart is too important to ignore.

Lions Pride continues to be grateful for the giving hearts of our donors.

The Start of the Little League World Series

15 Thursday Aug 2019

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There’s no better time to grab some peanuts and Cracker Jack. All of you baseball fans out there know that are nearing the end of the season, but today, is the start of an extraordinary period, the Little League World Series.

From now until August 25, young athletes from all over the globe will compete to earn the coveted World Series Trophy. The tournament includes eight US teams and eight international teams. The series kicks off today with four games, featuring the following regions: Australia, Caribbean, New England, Southeast, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Midwest and Great Lakes. The remaining regions, Mid-Atlantic, Northwest, Southwest, West, Canada, Europe-Africa, Japan and Mexico will get their start tomorrow. See the complete schedule.

If you’re not overly familiar with little league baseball, you may be interested to learn about its rich history. The league was first formed back in 1938 by Carl Stotz in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Eight years later, the league had not gained a lot of traction as there were only 12 active leagues. Many believe World War II deterred its growth because many fathers had enlisted in the military. The following year, the board of directors decided to organize a tournament for all known programs and named it the National Little League Tournament. It was changed to the Little League Baseball World Series later on.

Over 2500 visitors came to Williamsport to watch young stars play in the first championship game. Its publicity spread throughout the county, and Little League Programs began forming in every US start. Today’s LLBWS includes seven tournaments played in various divisions.

Many modern-day Major Leaguers got their start in Little League Baseball; some names you may even recognize. Charlie Hayes, Jonathan Schoop and Gary Sheffield were all Little Leaguers who went on to play in the MLB with brief period as Milwaukee Brewers.

Hawaii took home the trophy in the 2018 LLBWS, so it will be interesting to see if they can do it again! Will you plan on watching the 2019 Little League World Series? Let us know in the comments below.

On behalf of Lions Pride, we’d like to wish the best of luck to all of the athletes participating in this year’s LLBWS. Let’s play ball!

National Cupcake Day

13 Thursday Dec 2018

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The past few weeks, we’ve taken a more in-depth look at several December holidays.

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Photo Credit to Bakerella

Two weeks, ago, we learned more about the Celebration of Lights, and just last week, we met St. Nicholas of Myre. This week, we’ll again look at an event that is a little more light-hearted in nature – National Cupcake Day. Unlike Hanukkah and St. Nick’s Day, National Cupcake Day, which is taking place on Saturday, December 15, is an unofficial national holiday, but we thought it’d be fun to celebrate everyone’s favorite portable dessert with a brief history and less-known facts to impress all of your friends.

Although cakes have been around for centuries, the child dessert has much a “shorter” history. The idea of the cupcake arrived in the United States in 1796 after making its debut in Amelia Simmons’ cookbook. At that point, it did not have a unique name
but was sometimes known as the 1-2-3-4 cake. One of the most significant advantages of this recipe was it was easy to remember; it merely called for 1 cup of butter, 2 cups of sugar, 3 cups of flour and 4 eggs (plus 1 cup of milk and 1 spoonful of baking soda.)

The word, “cupcake” did not come to be until the recipe was first documented by Eliza Leslie in her 1828 called “Receipts.” Of course, the rest is history. Today, there seems to be a cupcake available in every theme, color and flavor. But did you also know?

  • The first cupcakes were not frosted, but instead flavored with dried fruits and spices.
  • The cupcake industry first started gaining popularity when Hostess began mass-producing their famous cream-filled “Cupcake” in 1919.
  • The world’s largest cupcake weighed over 1200 pounds and contained more than two million calories.
  • The Food Network has a show dedicated exclusively to cupcakes called “Cupcake Wars,” and has over 1.6 million viewers.

There’s just no denying that people love cupcakes. The best way to observe this unofficial holiday is to bake a batch and share them with people you care about. It’s just one more way to make life a little sweeter.

Happy National Cupcake from Lions Pride!

The Story of Hanukkah

29 Thursday Nov 2018

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Thanksgiving has come and gone, then without skipping a single beat, it seems that Jewish holiday hanukkah celebration with vintage menorahChristmas has arrived. Now, we are being bombarded with TV commercials, online ads and emails letting us know that December 25 will be here soon. While there’s no denying Christmas is one of the most popular holidays celebrated in the United States, it’s important to remember that there are several other celebrations also taking place in December. In the next series, we will explore a handful of the holidays – starting with Hanukkah.

Hanukkah, also known as Chanukah, is an eight-day celebration of light takes place this year from December 2 to December 10. The story dates back thousands of years ago to 200 BC. At that time, the land of Israel was under the control of Antiochus III and the Syrian Greeks. During his reign, Antiochus allowed Jewish people to continue practicing their religion, but when his son, Antiochus IV assumed power, he outlawed Judaism and forced the Judeans to worship Greek gods.

In 168 BC, soldiers of Anthiochus III invaded Jerusaleum where they killed thousands of people and destroyed the city’s sacred Second Temple. Within the temple’s holy walls, soldiers slaughtered pigs and erected a statue of Zeus. After the desecration, a Jewish priest named Mattathias started the Maccabean Revolt. Immediately following his death in 166 BC, his son Judah took charge of the rebellion. Finally, after three long years of battle, the war came to an end, and the Judeans successfully drove the Syrians out of Israel.

Following the victory, Judeans wanted to light the menorah to rededicate the Second Temple but discovered that they only had enough oil to keep the candles burning for one day. They decided to take a chance and light the candles. Then a miracle happened. The candles continued to flicker for the following eight days, leaving them plenty of time to find a fresh supply of oil. Jewish sages then proclaimed an annual eight-day festival.

Today, the Hanukkah celebration is centered on the lighting of the menorah. After sundown each night, another candle is lit. The menorah is then displayed in the window to remind others of the original miracle.

A common question that many people ask is whether or not Chanukkah is a gift-giving holiday. You may be surprised to learn that there are no biblical or Talmudic roots connected to the idea of giving gifts during the Hanukkah season, but there is a timeworn tradition of instilling the value of charity. Many families have adopted the tradition of giving gelt (or money) to their children each weeknight of Hanukkah. Children then give a portion of their gift to charity. What an inspiring concept!

This year, let’s make an effort to remember all of the December celebrations, not just Christmas. We may not have the same beliefs or traditions as our neighbors, but it’s our differences that make our world all the more interesting.

Happy Holidays from Lions Pride!