By John Ceravino
The Mercy College Lions Club held one of its many fundraisers to help the needy this past Nov. 10 by holding a bake sale in order to raise money for both the Wounded Warrior Program and the American Cancer Society.
Staying true to the Lion motto of “we serve,” students who are a part of the International organization that reaches over 1.3 million people in over 200 countries served up donated baked goods to raise money.
“It was a huge success,” said Susan Gunser, the Faculty Advisor. “This is a great way to see people working in a unified fashion and providing service for those in need.”
And nothing was left to waste either. All leftovers were brought to the Abbott House which houses children in need off social service.
“It was great to see the kids faces, they were so surprised,” said Gunser.
Gunser is a former president of the Yonkers Lions Club and her duties here are more to overseeing as she lets the students decide on future tasks or worthy causes. She also handles the process of selecting potential members. “We need these students to have a strong commitment to service,” she said.
The students who are accepted are voted into office and pay minimal monthly dues. They are thought to work as a business as the club operates as one. Keys for success are leadership and organizational skills.
“It’s a good way to see people work in a unified fashion providing service.”
The Lions Club is a not for profit organization and the items they sell at fundraisers such as the bake sale are either made by the members themselves or donated. Donations come from family members and local restaurants that support the causes.
The one thing that separates the Lions from most other similar organizations is that their main focus is broad and ambitious. In the past, they have sent out formula and other essentials to the soldiers guarding towns in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The first Lions Club was started in 1917 by Melvin Jones. His saying was, “You can’t get very far until you start doing something for somebody else.”