Lions Pancake Breakfast Saturday

The annual tradition of the Nevada Lions Club spring pancake breakfast returns Saturday, April 1, at St. Mary's Fellowship Hall, located at 330 N. Main, with the event beginning at 7 a.m. and going until 11 a.m.

The Nevada Lions Club formed in 1924 and actively serves its community with ongoing programs to support local organizations and activities. The Lions Club motto is "We Serve."

The pancake breakfast serves as a key fundraiser for the Lions, who contribute to the Vernon County Senior Center, the nursing home Christmas outreach, sponsor a local softball and soccer team and a Nevada High School Scholarship, as well as contribute to the Vernon County Youth Fair, Vernon County Cancer Relief, Moore-Few Care Center, the Community Food Pantry, Backpacks of Love (backpacks of food for school children), Nevada Special Athletes, and the Children's Center. The Lions also support Mid-South Lions Sight and Hearing Service and Leader Dogs for the Blind.

Historically, the Nevada Lions Club has seen many community leaders among its members and the tradition continues with today's members. Although Lions Clubs began as a male only group, women have been full members since the 1970s and today's Nevada Lions club has many women members, including those in leadership positions.

The annual spring pancake breakfast is a long-standing tradition with the Nevada Lions, who greet friends, family and fellow community members with the pancake breakfast.

It also provides a chance for community members to catch up with seldom seen friends. It isn't unusual to see a family come in, get their breakfast and sit down with one group, then move on to a second or third.

The impetus for the Lions Clubs to engage in the eyeglass program, in addition to many other sight and hearing related programs, was Helen Keller, who challenged the Lions Clubs to be "Knights of the Blind" in a speech she gave in 1925.

The club collects used eyeglasses that are used to provide people in under-served areas in third world countries with corrective lenses. Collected eyeglasses are sorted at recycling centers, cleaned and packaged according to prescription, and then delivered by mission teams to people in need.

The Nevada Lions have collected thousands of pairs of eyeglasses over the years with Lion Ron Schowengerdt chairing the local effort. Collection points include a drop box on the north side of the Wal-Mart parking lot as well as boxes located in various businesses around town.

Community members are encouraged to donate their old glasses at the breakfast or at one of the locations around town.

"Participants, both club and community members, can feel good knowing the proceeds help the club fund projects that help both locally and globally," said the club in a press release.