By:Jennifer Marino
This year the Lion's Club celebrates it 70th anniversary. Tradition dictates that platinum and diamonds are the gifts for a 70th anniversary, but the Lion's would prefer glass, the kind that makes the lenses of eyeglasses. Lion's Clubs collect prescription eyeglasses and refurbishes them for those that can't afford glasses.
The main fund-raiser for the Rockville Centre club is the Duck Race, which is in its sixth year. The race and Fall Family Festival will take place on Oct. 2 at Mill River and Centennial Park.
The Lion's Club movement was started in 1917. Helen Keller became involved with the Lions and encouraged them to help the blind. They became known as the "knights of the blind." The Rockville Centre club is among over 40 in Nassau County.
In addition to helping charities like the Guide Dog Foundation and the Long Island Bombers, a blind baseball team, the Rockville Centre Lions also donate to local charities. The Rockville Centre Community Fund, the Hispanic Brotherhood, St. Agnes Outreach and Adopt-a-Family are among the charities that benefited from the over $16,000 the RVC Lions raised last year. In some years, the club has been able to raise as much as $29,000, according to member Arnold Fleischer.
Fleischer has been a member of the Lions since 1969 when he owned a drug store in the village. He has become the club historian because of his long history with the group.
"We're a club of young, professional people," Fleischer said. That wasn't always the case. About 10 years ago, membership had declined and those left were thinking about giving up. The district governor, the leader of the all the clubs in Nassau County, came to Rockville Centre and helped members, including Fleischer, canvas the village. They explained what their club was about and got "a nucleus of new, young members," said Fleischer.
These dynamic new members were able to take over positions as officers in the club and attracted even more new blood. Now the Rockville Centre Lions have the youngest average age of all of the clubs in Nassau County, and they have 50 members in Rockville Centre. This year they even had a district governor, Anthony Paradiso, come from their club.
Fleischer said the club is very proud of its rejuvenation, but they are always looking for new members. The club is a way to give back to the community while having a good time, he said. The Leo Club at South Side High School, with about 125 members, is sponsored by the Lions and is a junior version of the club.
The Duck Race idea originally came from Dr. Michael Russo, according to Fleischer. Russo had heard about it form other people, and the club decided to invest in the equipment, including all those rubber duckies, to stage the event. There are lots of prizes for various ducks sponsored for $5. Plus there is food and entertainment for the whole family.
In addition raising money for charity, some club members do volunteer work themselves. Fleischer helps transport donated eye corneas from the airport to the North Shore Eye Research Center and various local hospitals.
To find out more about joining the Rockville Centre Lion's Club, call Bruce Merkin at (516)766-2800 or Maureen Jordan at (516)764-1775.
