Our Annual Lions Garage Sale - week ending Sat 6 Jun 2020 **cancelled/deferred**

Apr 2020 Magrath - We are unable to hold our traditional community garage sale this year due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. Instead we urge any who can to donate cash directly to the organization of your choice to support those in need at this time. Traditionally funds raised at the Lions Garage Sale have been used for local club projects. Hopefully we will be able to restart this project in spring 2021.

How? in person to Lion Roger at Magrath Pharmacy or etransfer to treasurer@magrathlions.com or to another worthy cause of your choice ..

Magrath Lions Club ‘Bringing Our Community Together’

The Magrath Lions Club was founded in May 1938 with Gladstone Balderson as the first president and soon had 35 active members. One major accomplishment for the club back then was the construction of the original Magrath Swimming Pool (now long gone) and the Magrath Lions Playground. For the past 8 decades we have been working and serving here in Magrath with many taking several turns serving as club president over the years including: Charlie Matkin, Norm Hillmer, Johnny Bourne, Ken Balderson, Bob Clifton, Warren Wilde, Lawerence Papworth, Devar Dahl, Shauna Davies, Roger Davies, Alex White.

Today, we are a small but active club with about a dozen official club members with focus on Magrath and area. Our numbers may be small, but there are great local leadership opportunities here, and it is only thanks to so many willing local volunteers are we able to implement so many important projects here. Current Lions Club projects include the Annual Community Food Drive in early spring (2019 was our 14th annual drive with 100-150 church volunteers collecting food items from the entire town with 5000 lbs of food collected), our Annual Lions Garage Sale in late spring (we receive donations from all across town from people with too much stuff so they can come back and pay us to acquire different stuff), ongoing Lions Park Playground Upgrades as needed, an annual Community No Cost Clothing Event at summer end (with clothing donations from all across town and needing up to 100 volunteers to run it), and our Community Christmas Box Collections drive (for past 15 years we have served as collection point for boxes from community and from the club).

Current club membership includes Lions Alex (club president) and Laurie Ann White, Lions Glen and Christine (club secretary*) Bly, Lions Roger (club treasurer) and Shauna Davies, and Lions Mike and Kelly Duff, Lion Elizabeth Olsen, Lion Lawrence Papworth, Lion Deanna Friday, Lion Catherine Cai, Lion Larry Murray. *Sadly, in 2020 Lion Christine passed away after an extended illness. Lion Roger is currently the longest serving lion (since 1995). Lion Shauna has the distinction of having been our first female club president (4 terms starting in 2010). Lion Elizabeth is our oldest living club member (she being 5 years old when our club was founded).
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We serve! We serve better with your help. Please see our website for current information on club projects, club membership and local volunteering opportunities.

Apr 2020 Magrath - We are unable to hold our traditional community food drive this year due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. Instead we urge any who can to donate cash directly to the organization or church of your choice to support those in need at this time. Traditionally we have sent your donations to the Lethbridge Food Bank and a portion to the local school lunch program. Hopefully we will be able to restart this project next Apr 2021.

• https://lethbridgefoodbank.ca/donate-now/
• or another worthy cause of your choice

See you next year! 

Magrath, AB February 2, 2020 after a year in hospital Lion Christine left this world behind. "Christine Jeanette Bly (Spotton) passed away peacefully but her memory lives on with her family; loving husband and father to their children Glen Robert Bly;  children Russell Bly (Teresa), Kristina (Bly) Woolley (Jeff), and Shane Bly (Kate); 6 grand children and 3 great grand children; father Russell Spotton; mother Jean Henderson; and siblings Faith Fothergill, Gord Spotton, and Laverne Spotton." salmonandsons.ca/2020/02/05/bly. Lion Christine joined the Magrath Lions Club in Dec 2016 serving most recently as club secretary until health issues finally required her to resign her club duties last year. She will be remembered as a cheerful and willing worker, volunteering for many club projects as a club member. 

Global News July 21, 2016 globalnews.ca/news/2839977/dog-owners-in-magrath-alta-hope-to-build-fenced-in-dog-park Dog owners in Magrath, Alta. hope to build fenced-in dog park: "Christine Bly said she tries to make the trip to Lethbridge with her two greyhounds to use their city dog parks as often as she can. However, she sometimes ends up using unconventional methods instead. “They don’t like to walk, and we can’t run fast enough,” Bly said. “What we have been doing, which truly isn’t so safe, is taking them out to a country road that’s deserted and letting them run beside the truck. It would be nice to have a big fenced-in yard that they can let loose.”

Westwind Weekly JULY 9, 2016 westwindweekly.com/news/2016/07/09/magrath-in-need-of-an-official-dog-park "The Magrath Dog Lovers’ Society is looking for help to fund the town’s first ever fenced in, off leash dog park. Chairman Christine Bly says currently there isn’t anywhere to take dogs and relieve some of their high energy. “There is no place to let them loose. Your dog will be healthier, your dog will have a better life and will be less aggressive,” said Bly. Bly sometimes makes the trip to Lethbridge to use the parks there, but is usually limited to the country roads in town. “It really isn’t that safe for them, if a farmer is coming down on a tractor and can’t see them, it becomes dangerous for dogs to run. In town, you can’t let them loose to run and you don’t want them chained up all the time,” said Bly. Bly believes bringing a dog park to Magrath makes sense because of the number of dogs here. She says it would benefit their owners too. “There is a lot of people in town who have dogs. I think people would become closer as a community. You bring the dogs together and you might meet people who you’ve never met before,” said Bly.

It's Time to Pack Shoebox Gifts for Operation Christmas Child! Get your box at the Magrath Pharmacy (or use one of your own shoebox size boxes), fill them and return completed boxes to the Magrath Pharmacy by 6pm on 20th Nov (the last day for our drive here in Magrath) 

Community: No Cost Clothing Event (Aug 2019) clothes collection

Town of Magrath/Lions Club No Cost Clothing Event will be held Sat 31 Aug 2019 at Ice Arena. The annual (2019) Community No Cost Clothing event, sponsored by the Magrath Lions and headed by Lion Alex and Lion Shauna. Collection drive is Jul 1 through Aug 30 and sorting and setup will be Fri 30 Aug at the Magrath Ice Arena).

On Sat 31 Aug 2019 9-2pm the event will open to public (for FREE distribution). 

We have been collecting clothing donations for our upcoming No Cost Clothing event at the end of August throughout July and August. Did you notice the white Lions Club collection van in front of the Magrath Pharmacy #nocostclothing #magrathlions

Magrath, AB Update - *new* this year - extended hours! This year our community garage sale will be set up on Thu evening and then be open to Public on Fri evening from 5-8pm as well as on Sat morning from 8am-noon at the north end garage door at the Magrath Ice Arena. See you all there!  

Past 5 results: 

#13 Apr 2018: Total donations were 2.2 tons (4350 lbs).
#12 Apr 2017: Total donations were 2.0 tons (4000 lbs).
#11 Apr 2016: Total donations were 2.6 tons (5154 lbs).
#10 Apr 2015: Total donations were 2.7 tons (5354 lbs).
#9 Apr 2014: Total donations were 2.75 tons (5500 lbs).

"Thank you, thank you, thank you..." Magrath Lions and Executive Director Lethbridge Food Bank
"We concur" Lion Roger

We will firm up the dates and plans at our Jan 2019 meeting: but coming up this year ..

• Community Food Drive 22-27 Apr 2019
• Lion Club Garage Sale Fundraiser May 2019
• Lions Park Playground Upgrades Spring 2019
• Community No Cost Clothing Event Aug 2019
• Community Christmas Box Collections Nov 2019
• Others?