Wilro Lions spreading Christmas joy
If you know the Wilro Park Lions Club, you have probably heard the saying 'where there is a need, there is a Lion'. For the festive season this year, they have gone above and beyond to try and give over 300 children a special Christmas gift.
The Wilro Park Lions Club are well-known for their dedication to their community and the amazing work they do to help the most vulnerable community members.
The Lions decided that they wanted to do something unique for their Christmas outreach, and in their Service Committee Meeting, they came up with the idea (convened by Roleen Hunter) to put together as many Christmas stockings as they could, to hand out to various organisations focusing on the welfare of children.
All the Lions members helped in some way or another, some with sewing, some with decorating, and all of them helped fill the stockings. Roleen even made personalised gift tags for each child before the stockings were filled with cold drink, sweets, popcorn, a small toy, and a book. The Lions Club members’ family and friends helped to pack each stocking, specifically according to the list of children they were meant for.
“It has been such a difficult year, and we wanted to spread extra love at Christmas and choose kindness always,” said Wilro Lions Club’s Public Relations Officer, Sandy van Heerden.
On 1 December, Roleen was joined by fellow Lions, Irene Mann, Susan Labuschagne, and Niqula Kruger to hand out all of the stockings to the various organisations the club had identified.
302 stockings were distributed as follows:
• 60 stockings for Tjokkertjies vir Jesus Preschool in Krugersdorp
• 38 stockings for Lebohang Crèche in Vanderbijlpark
• 94 stockings for The Haven Safe House
• 44 stockings for Dorah’s Ark
• 15 stockings for Dorcas Aid
• 12 stockings for Twinkle Star Crèche in Rustenburg
• 50 stockings for CHOC (Childhood Cancer Foundation South Africa)
Even though not all of the organisations are situated in Roodepoort, the Lions wanted to spread Christmas Joy as far and wide as they could. “Service has no boundaries,” concluded Sandy.
Don’t forget that the Lions still have plenty of stock of their famous 1kg Christmas cakes, which they are selling to raise funds for the initiatives they participate in throughout the year. The scrumptious cakes are being sold for R125 each and can be ordered from Sandy on 083 564 6388. Sandy can also be contacted to find out more about the Wilro Lions and what they do.
