Connecting Lions - Lions Pride Campaign

4th Annual Lions Pride Shoot
The Annual Lions Pride Sporting Clays Fundraiser continues to be a "bang up" event. Though the
weather was cloudy and a bit cool for this year’s 4th Annual Shoot, it did not deter shooters and
volunteers from having a GREAT time. Among this year's highlights were 25 NEW shooters and
our first ALL women's team, who aptly donned hats with pink letters that read "Girls with Guns."
The shooters, dinner guests and volunteers enjoyed a wonderful Pork
Porterhouse topped with sautéed mushrooms. One shooter commented,
"The pork chop is as big as the plate!" Following dinner, the live auction had some new, unique and
interesting items including a Nook, Hand-Carved Duck Decoys, Hot Air Balloon Rides and even tickets
to a ZZ Top Concert.
The success of this fundraiser would not be possible without our Sponsors and Prize Donors, 21 of
the 32 are non-Lions who support Lions Pride. Equally important is the help of our Lion, Lioness and
non-Lion volunteers; this year sharing over 234 combined hours of their time for the Pride Shoot.
If you would like to see more pictures from this year's shoot as well as
pictures from past shoots, they are available on line. To take a peek at
the fun visit the Lions Pride website www.lionspride.org then click on the News, Views and Events
tab and select Photo Galleries, or "Like" us on Facebook to view our albums there.
The 5th Annual Lions Pride Shoot will be held Saturday, June 9, 2012 at Milford Hills in Johnson
Creek. Mark your calendar; round up a team, volunteer, plan on joining us!
Lions Camp, A Parents Perspective
By Kevin McPherson, Madison West Lions Club Member & Lions Pride Board Member
“Dad, that is still my favorite camp!” my 19 year-old daughter Kayla exclaimed as we pulled away from Wisconsin Lions Camp
in August. Kayla is quite an expert on camping for children and young adults with special needs in Wisconsin having attended
other camps in the state and in Iowa.
Kayla is a confident camper thanks, in large part, to Wisconsin Lions Camp her first away-from-home camp experience in the
summer of 2005. Taking the first step isn’t easy for either the camper or the parents. I remember the butterflies we felt
signing Kayla up for Lions Camp that first year. We had recently moved to Madison from out of state and heard from other
parents how great the experience was at Lions Camp. We looked into Lions Camp and were amazed to find it was offered at
no cost. We weren’t totally convinced the time was right to send Kayla away for a whole week, so we signed up for a Family
Camp Weekend to check it out. Our family had a blast and we still talk about our epic canoe races. We found the setting
gorgeous, the facility top-notch, the food better than expected and a caring staff. We brought Kayla back for her week of
camp in June certain she would have a great time.
Lions Camp changed our lives. Kayla came back from that first week at Camp full of stories, talking about her counselors, the
cook-outs, the mud pit and the dance. She seemed to carry herself a little differently, too. She came home tired but with a
new found confidence in tackling life more independently. I decided to look into joining a Lions club to support the great
organization that had done so much for kids like Kayla; I did just that, joining the Madison West Lions Club.
The past six years have flown by. Kayla has gone from one week of camp to four, only one at Lions Camp since that is the
maximum allowed each year. Her independence has increased steadily; she has a regular job at the Middleton High School
pool, enjoys participating in Special Olympics and spending time with her friends. The last two years Kayla has been eligible
to attend Young Adult Week at Lions Camp but it is in high demand so a lottery is held and a camper has about a 1 in 3
chance to get a spot. We were all disappointed last year when Kayla’s name was not selected and VERY excited this year
when it was, making her one of the lucky ones.
Lions Camp means so much to the kids and young adults who attend and it means a great deal to their families too. While
the campers have fun, learn skills and practice independence, their parents enjoy a brief respite from the demands that
having a child with special needs place on day-to-day living. Independence for children with special needs is something
parents need to prepare for and the practice you get from even a week at camp is a great first step.
DONATE ON-LINE AT WWW.LIONSPRIDE.ORG