Tom Croft welcomed the other clubs and our dedication to make Chaska one of the best communities in Minnesota. With partnership and coordination with others, Tom invited the Lions and Kiwanis to share that goal.
Bryce Ehrman, leads the Lions Club, among the 1.36 million members worldwide. Their fund-raising has been successful in giving back $900,000 to the community. The Lions are also known for supporting vision health and eyeglass collection. Similar to service organizations everywhere, the Lions have seen membership declines. Bryce would like to grow club membership and community connections. Lions Clubs International is the world’s largest service club organization, with members in more than 45,000 clubs in more than 206 countries and geographic areas. Lions conduct vision screenings, equip hospitals and clinics, distribute medicine and raise awareness of eye disease. Lions work toward their mission of providing vision for all and through the international “SightFirst” program, which works to eradicate blindness. Lions community projects often support local children and schools through scholarships, recreation and mentoring. Their Leo program provides the youth of the world with an opportunity for personal development through volunteering. There are approximately 144,000 Leos and 5,700 Leo clubs in more than 140 countries worldwide. Bryce and his club meet on the 3rd Tuesday at 6:00 PM at the Chaska VFW, at 620 Creek Road. More information: www.e-clubhouse.org/sites/chaska/
John Getsch, Kiwanis President, described his club as being geared toward children’s health and specifically tetanus prevention. They have a “terrific kids” program – a student recognition program that promotes character development, self-esteem and perseverance; and “Key Clubs” and other programs that focus on school-age youth. Kiwanis clubs, located in 80 nations, help their communities in countless ways. Each community’s needs are different—so each Kiwanis club is different. By working together, members achieve what one person cannot accomplish alone. When you give a child the chance to learn, experience, dream, grow, succeed and thrive, great things happen. Service is at the heart of every Kiwanis club. Members stage nearly 150,000 service projects and raise nearly $100 million every year for communities, families and projects. John’s club meets at Hazeltine at noon on Tuesdays. More information: www.kiwanis.org.
