Civil society commitment indispensable: Strelitzer Lions Club has donated around 85,000 euros in three decades

by time news June 11, 2023

June 11, 2023

2023-06-11 13:25:36

The Lions Club Neustrelitz/Mecklenburg-Strelitz has already raised more than 7,000 euros to support swimming courses for children. This was announced by President Ruth Simkowski at the celebration of the club’s 30th anniversary (Strelitzius reported). With this, 70 children can learn to swim. Now the parents have to be persuaded to accompany their offspring to the courses at Lake Glambeck, as DRK volunteer coordinator Ronny Möller and Wencke Mahnke from the DRK water rescue service emphasized at the project presentation. After all, the first Lütten are already benefiting from it and have gone into the wet element.

Under the motto “We serve” (We serve), the Lions Club Neustrelitz/Mecklenburg-Strelitz has been involved in charitable purposes in the three decades of its existence. “Numerous projects have been funded such as Lions Quest and Class 2000. Sports clubs, the Festival of Arts in Mirow and the district music school Kon.centus also received financial support,” as the President emphasized.

The mayors of Neustrelitz and the twin town of Schwäbisch Hall, Andreas Grund and Peter Klink, expressed their enthusiasm and gratitude for the commitment of the Lions, which currently have 26 members. Speaking to those gathered in Borwinheim, the city leaders emphasized that common values, friendliness and civic responsibility are needed more than ever. Civil society commitment is an indispensable part of social life.

In his ceremonial speech, founding member Thomas Hartung mentioned the proud sum of around 85,000 euros that the club has donated since it was founded: the Kiefernheide kindergarten, the Neustrelitzer Tafel, the flood victims of the Oderbruch, the water sports club, the Neustrelitz art gallery, the hospice in Neustrelitz, the fanfare parade , the field archer and many more. In addition, 5000 pairs of glasses were collected for Africa.

“The education of young people is particularly important to us,” says Hartung. As an example, he named the “Class 2000” project, a preventive health program for primary school children. The Lions Association was founded in 2007, which Frank Fechner has managed excellently for many years. In Belgium, the mulled beer tasted so good that the Lions have been serving it for a number of years at the Neustrelitzer Hofzauber for a donation.

The Lions also brought interesting people to talk to in Neustrelitz, such as Manfred Stolpe, Ignatz Bubis, Rainer Prachtl and Lorenz Caffier, district administrators Heiko Kärger, a member of the club, Elmar Schaubs and Kathrin Knuth. Due to the given occasion, the Lions are thinking about starting a discussion forum on questions of democracy, the media or the preservation of values in society. Hartung thanked club member and Lions archivist Horst-Günther Jung for helping him to prepare his speech. The keynote speaker concluded with a statement by Alexander von Humboldt: “Basically, it’s always the connections with people that give life its value.”