Tag Archives: virtual

Christmas Caroling Safety Tips

17 Thursday Dec 2020

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We know that likely everyone could use a boost of holiday cheer in 2020, and what better way than through the sound of music? Although many tried-and-true traditions, including cross-country travel and large family gatherings, may be frowned upon during the pandemic, Christmas caroling may be an activity you can still add to your holiday bucket list.

Sunday, December 20, is Go Caroling Day. What better time to gather a small group of loved ones to spread joy throughout your neighborhood? However, safety precautions are likely still necessary to stop the spread of coronavirus. If you plan to head out caroling, consider following these tips:

  1. Keep your choir small

    When it comes to event gatherings, the CDC guidelines say the more people you come into contact with and the longer that interaction lasts, the higher your risk to become infected and spreading COVID-19. To decrease the chance of spread, try to keep your caroling group on the smaller end.
     
  2. Maintain social distancing

    We know that Christmas caroling primarily takes place outdoors, but your group should continue to uphold a physical distance of at least 6 feet. You can further decrease your risk by keeping your masks on, avoid sharing items (like sheet music) and using hand sanitizer.

  3. Reach out to community leaders to determine your route

    As we mentioned, this particular holiday season may be especially dreary for some members of your community. Consider reaching out to community leaders who may have a good idea of who could use some extra holiday cheer. By speaking with these leaders, you may be able to efficiently plan your route and reach new people. 

    But remember, this year is unlike any other. Be sure to keep in mind that not everyone will feel comfortable opening the door to neighbors, especially if he or she is immunocompromised. You may want to reach out ahead of time to determine their caroling interest level.

  4. Gather virtually

    Lastly, if you’d rather avoid the risk, choose an online meeting platform to get friends together to sing your favorite holiday tunes. You may want to record your session and share it with your social network to get all of your friends in the holiday spirit.

The holidays certainly look different in 2020, but with a little creativity, we may still be able to participate in several well-loved traditions, including singing with friends.

Happy Go Caroling Day from Lions Pride!

Support Lions Pride with Your Black Friday Shopping

26 Thursday Nov 2020

Posted by in Giving Tips, Special Events

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We’ve said it time and time again – 2020 is a year unlike any other. Today is a day to give thanks, but many of us are not spending the day with extended members of the family due to COVID-19 as we would have in the not-so-recent past.

Consequently, the pandemic has also changed the way we shop on Black Friday. In the past, the biggest holiday shopping of the year, started getting earlier and earlier, but this year, most sales have moved online. Yet, one more good reason to stay in tonight.

While you are busy making your list and checking it twice, you can support Lions Pride with all of your online shopping without spending any more than you anticipated. How might you ask? By using online tools like Goodshop or AmazonSmile. Learn how you can get started right away:

Goodshop

Goodshop is an online shopping portal that allows you to donate to your charity of choice with every purchase you make. Whenever you make a purchase with Goodshop, a percentage of your sale is donated to your charity of choice.

Goodshop helps you find coupons and deals with businesses all over the internet. Not only are you raising money for your favorite charity, but you are also saving money! The funds to operate Goodshop come from advertisers, so there is no cost to use.


Getting started couldn’t be easier. Just visit http://www.goodsearch.com/choosecause and search for “Lions Pride.” Next, select “Lions Pride Endowment Fund.” After your initial sign-up, you can select your favorite sites and Goodshop will alert you each time there is a new coupon or sale. Who doesn’t love simple savings?

AmazonSmile

If you prefer to get all of your shopping taken care of in one place, you are no doubt familiar with Amazon; but did you know that you can donate a percentage of your purchase price to your favorite nonprofit organization by using AmazonSmile?

Each time you shop at smile.amazon.com, Amazon donates half a percentage of your purchase price to Lions Pride. Keep in mind that you will need to start at smile.amazon.com every time you shop to support your favorite charity. When you shop, Amazon gives. Bookmark it today!

Whether you decide to use Goodshop to find the best online deals or consider yourself to be a one-stop shopper with Amazon Smile, we hope you’ll consider choosing Lions Pride as your charity of choice. You can ensure the future of Wisconsin Lions Camp and all other WLF statewide projects. Every online purchase can help us make a difference in the lives of people all around the state of Wisconsin.

As always, we appreciate your continued support. Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Shopping!

Games & Puzzles Week in the Virtual Age

19 Thursday Nov 2020

Posted by in Holidays, News, Special Events

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With Thanksgiving only one week away, we’re guessing your preparations this year probably look different than they did in the not-so-recent past. This time last year, you were likely excitedly discussing plans with beloved family members, conversing about who would bring the pumpkin pie, extra wine glasses and perhaps a board game to play after being stuffed to the brim.

This week is unofficially known as National Game and Puzzle Week, as it’s typically a time for families to gather for the holidays and share a few laughs. What better time to break out a classic family board game or quietly work on a puzzle together throughout the day?

Of course, the CDC has already set out specific guidelines for celebrating the holiday season. Sadly, as the conditions of the pandemic continue to worsen, families are being asked to reconsider their plans to slow the spread of the virus. Experts are recommending that families only gather with members of their household to reduce the spread of the virus.  

Many people are understandably disappointed that they will likely not be able to follow their usual family traditions to celebrate the holiday, but it’s important to remember that technology can help keep families connected. To help families get into the holiday spirit, we’ve put together a few games that can be easily played virtually:   

  1. Pictionary – with Zoom’s whiteboard feature, you can all have a blast sporting your artistic abilities. Simply divide your group into teams and open a Pictionary Word Generator to let the fun begin.  
  2. 20 Questions – you may think you already know your family members well, but we’d be willing to bet that you’ll learn at least a few new pieces of information after asking them 20 creative questions. Check out these 200 conversation-starting questions for inspiration. 
  3. Bingo – did someone say Bingo? Yes! Visit the website, My Free Bingo Cards, to play a virtual version of everyone’s favorite game. Consider adding small prizes such as gift cards or fun trinkets to enhance your family’s sense of competition.
  4. Trivia – show off your knowledge of random facts with a classic game of trivia. Assign a host a random trivia generator to get the brains working after a huge turkey dinner. The winner gets bragging rights!

We know everyone is experiencing COVID fatigue, but the promising news about the recent vaccine milestone should provide us all with hope that an end is in sight. We just need to all hang on a little while longer to overcome this tremendous obstacle.

Have a safe, healthy Thanksgiving from Lions Pride.

Celebrating Motorcyclists

09 Thursday Jul 2020

Posted by in Fundraising, Lions Camp, News, Special Events

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On humid days like today, it’s difficult to enjoy the sunshine without a breeze. Unfortunately, Mother Nature doesn’t always cooperate with our plans, so sometimes you need to make your own. If you have to ask yourself how then we would guess that you don’t often find yourself on the back of a bike!

July 10, 2020 is National Motorcycle Day, an unofficial holiday dedicated to celebrating the spirit of adventure and freedom. From what we could find, the creators of the event (Sentry Insurance) thought the second week of July was the perfect time to continue the celebration of Independence Day one week later.

If you consider yourself to be a fan of Lions Pride, you probably already know that motorcyclists have a special place in our hearts.

For the past ten years, we’ve helped host the Friendship 100, an invitation-only motorcycle ride. Riders raise a minimum of $100 to participate, then the group takes a beautiful 100-mile ride from Fond du Lac to Rosholt.

Upon arrival, the riders enjoy a seated lunch, followed by a tour to experience life as a camper at Wisconsin Lions Camp.

Last year’s event was held on July 25, 2019. We were incredibly grateful to have received combined donations of $8270, nearly 50% more than their original goal. To date, the participating rides have donated almost $45,000.

Year after year, we look forward to seeing the friendly faces of our Friendship 100 Riders, but like many other summer events, we’ve had to postpone due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Of course, we are disappointed that our 11th annual ride will not continue as usual, but we hope to host it later this fall. Perhaps the ride will coincide with the extravagant autumn colors.

To all of our Friendship 100 Riders, we’d like to send you a virtual message since we cannot see you this month as we’d like. We cannot tell you how much your generous support means to our organization. We are so appreciative of your giving hearts and hope to see you soon!

Celebrating National Park Week with Virtual Tours

16 Thursday Apr 2020

Posted by in News, Special Events

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Photo by Kerry on Pexels.com

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!