Club members annual White Cane sale is this week

By Don Rush

The first mention of the Oxford Lions Club was on August 15, 1947. There on Page 4, buried two-thirds of the way down on the page, was a short, 62-word, two paragraph story.

“The Oxford Lions Club met Monday evening at the Garden Restaurant with 29 members and several guests. A fine time was had by all and plans for the Lions fall activities were unanimously agreed upon and given the go ahead signal. Officers of this newly organized group are: President, Louis Corbat; Vice President, Charles Brueker; Secretary. B. Mitchelfeld; Treasurer, Harry Miller.”

Since that time, the Oxford Lions Club has been a mainstay of service organizations in this community, helping area families in need, giving scholarships and donating to other charitable causes. Starting tomorrow morning members of the club will be out on the streets hawking for their annual White Cane Sale. Members will be out at M-24 and Drahner Road, Washington and Burdick streets, Baldwin and Oakwood and Baldwin and Seymour Lake roads.

The White Cane Sale is one of two major fundraisers the Lions have yearly, the other being their Goodfellow newspaper sale towards the end of the year.

According to club member Dave Borden, throughout the years, 90 percent of funds the Lions raise are put back into the community. They make donations to 13 different groups. They give scholarships to Oxford High School students, work with Michigan Eye Institute to provide eye glasses and eye screenings for area needy, hearing aid programs, Paws with a Cause and, of course, they are big supporters of Leader Dogs for the Blind. They recently gave out three, $1,000 scholarships to Oxford High School seniors. In the fall and winter they provide holiday meals and gift cards.

“Last Christmas we helped 45 local families in need at about the cost of $8,000,” Morden said.

The club meets regularly on the first and third Thursdays of the month in Red Knapps American Grill, 2 N. Washington St., starting at 6:30 p.m.

The mission of Lions International, of which the Oxford Lions Club is a member, is “To empower Lions clubs, volunteers, and partners to improve health and well-being, strengthen communities, and support those in need through humanitarian services and grants that impact lives globally, and encourage peace and international understanding.”

According to the website LionsClub.org, their vision is to be a “leader in community and humanitarian service.”

For more information about the Lions Club or how to join, call either Dave Morden at 248-628-1293, Pauline Morden at 248-941-5533 or club president Adam Bradford at 313-363-0945.