The Clermont-Minneola Lions Club continues to make a lasting difference throughout the community through service projects, fundraising efforts, and a strong commitment to helping those in need. As part of Lions Clubs International, the club focuses on vision care, community outreach, and charitable service while welcoming new volunteers who want to give back.

One of the highlights of the past year was the club’s ability to assist three local students who faced significant vision challenges. These students were either uninsured or underinsured, and their caregivers lacked the resources to afford eye exams or corrective eyewear. Through the efforts of the Clermont-Minneola Lions Club, each student received a professional eye exam and prescription glasses. The club plans to continue focusing on assisting students and seniors with vision care in the coming year to help even more community members who lack the necessary resources.

The club’s fundraising efforts were strengthened by the success of its first annual golf tournament, held in honor of longtime member Nick Jones. Club President Kevin Cunningham, who was also Jones’ son-in-law, reflected on his legacy.

“Nick Jones was a lifelong Lion from 1972 to 2023 and served our club in many roles, including President,” Cunningham said. “He was a fifty-year resident of Lake County, a devoted family man, an accomplished architect, a generous philanthropist, and above all, a servant to this community. Honoring him through this tournament was incredibly meaningful for our club and our family.”

The tournament brought together community members, Lions, friends, and supporters for a day of fellowship and remembrance. The Clermont-Minneola Lions Club also expressed sincere appreciation for the generous sponsors whose support made the event a success, which directly funds the club’s charitable programs and outreach efforts.

Looking ahead, the club is building on that momentum with its next fundraiser, an upcoming shooting range day. Immediate Past President and Rangemaster Tom Sheehan emphasized the importance of combining safety, fellowship, and service.

“Our events are about bringing people together in a positive, well-organized environment while raising funds for important causes,” Sheehan said.“ The shooting range day is another opportunity to connect with the community and support the work we do year-round.”

Club Sergeant at Arms and Rangemaster Ed Mittelstaedt echoed that sentiment.

“Safety, responsibility, and community engagement are our top priorities,” Mittelstaedt said. “This fundraiser allows participants to enjoy a unique experience while directly supporting local service projects, especially our vision assistance programs.”

Volunteer involvement remains the foundation of the Clermont-Minneola Lions Club. Club Secretary and Treasurer Mark Johnson emphasized that the club’s impact is driven entirely by its members and supporters.

“Everything we do is powered by volunteers and guided by compassion,” Johnson said. “Whether someone can give a little time or take on a larger role, there’s a place for everyone who wants to serve. Through teamwork and dedication, we’re able to change lives right here in our community.”

The Clermont-Minneola Lions Club normally meets at 6:00 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month at the Clermont IHOP, located at 2589 South Highway 27, Clermont, FL 34711. Community members interested in learning more about the club or attending a meeting are encouraged to join.

“Through compassion, service, and commitment, we continue to live by our motto, ‘We Serve,’” Johnson added

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Clermont-Minneola Lions Club president Nick Jones recently inducted Nikki Meadows into the Lions Club. Nikki was brought into the Club by her mother, Misty Meadows.  Lion Jones noted, “Nikki will bring added energy to the club.

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For the Club’s July meeting at IHOP in Clermont, Thursday, July 14, Lion Bob Armstrong, 2^nd VP of District 35 brought the Club up to date on the start of a new administration for 2022-23 and answered questions. 

Invited speaker, Scott Dau, Dir., Neighborhood Center of South Lake brought the Club up to date on changes underway at the Center in Groveland including the planning of a new, expanded facility on land donated by the City of Groveland on SR 50.  Scott quoted stats on the amount of food, clothing, and general assistance that was simply overwhelming.  “The times we are currently experiencing have strained the Center of volunteers in getting a growing number of families help”.  On the question of what particular needs are the most critical, Scott pointed out that getting enough diapers and baby wipes were becoming a problem.  The sizes needed were 3 months and up. 

The Lions presented a check for $350 to the Center to kick off Lion  Jones’  third time as President in his 50 years as a Club member. 

The Club will issue an appeal to shooting range patrons for diapers and wipes.  The Club runs the Charlie Neville (open to the public) Shooting Range on SR 50 across from Tractor Supply and Groveland Public Safety Complex on the second, third and fourth Saturday mornings 8-noon.

Nicki Meadows will be inducted into the Chapter at the August meeting. 

Meetings are held on the second Thursdays of the month at IHOP, 6:00 pm.  President Nick Jones has made it a major goal of growing the Club.  “Be a Lion” – for information check our website and call Nick at 352 394-4700 for information.        

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The Clermont-Minneola Lions Club hosted Zone 4 inter-club meeting at their regular second Thursday monthly Club dinner meeting held at IHOP in  Clermont. 

The Club awarded South Lake HS Senior, Emma Jeffries a $1,000 scholarship to attend UCF with her ultimate goal of becoming a Naval flight surgeon. Emma is the oldest of seven children, with the youngest an 11-month-old brother. 

The Zone meeting conducted by Lion Dulniak introduced PDG Williams as guest speaker.  Williams gave a brief history of Lions Club International.  Founded in 1917 by Melvin Jones in Chicago.  LCI has grown all across the globe serving millions particularly, focusing on vision and hearing since 1927 at the behest of Helen Keller in calling the Lions to be the Knights of the Blind.  In addition to briefing the Club on activities of the other 8 clubs of Zone 4, Lion Dulniak gave an impassioned presentation on his quest to find public dining venues willing to accommodate families with a member suffering from dementia. His quest has just begun with four restaurants in Orlando.  His role as a caregiver for his late wife for 17 years has given him the impetus to see it through.  Lions find ways to find heroes – their motto WE SERVE. 

For anyone interested, he can be contacted at 407 592-6670.  Lion Nick Jones reported having a very successful day last Saturday at Tractor Supply selling straw brooms made by the blind along with Lions Joe Mizglewski, Tom Sheehan and Sonny Rambo.  Best of all, a patron of Tractor Supply, Mindy Meadows is submitting an application for membership.  The Club operates the “open to the public” shooting range across SR 50 from Tractor Supply on the second, third and fourth Saturdays 8 – noon as the Club’s primary means of raising funds for numerous community and LCI projects. For more information, check the Club website – Google Clermont-Minneola Lions or call Lion Brown at 631 835-5343.

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Guests at the dinner meeting held at the Club’s regular 2^nd Thursday venue, IHOP in Clermont included, Lion Karen Stowers, Zone 2 Ch., of the High Point Lions Club, Corey Ward, Dianne McCarthy of Millville N.J., and Bruce Garton of Vineland, N.J.  Vineland was the town that city fathers migrated from that established Clermont cir. 1880.

Lion Larry’s work in making improvements to Lake Louisa State Park, Clermont Historic Society facilities, Florida Lakes Symphony, South Lake Community Foundation, First United Methodist Church, to name a few, will be missed as he was a most generous philanthropist in the community as well as in his home town of Wiedman, Michigan.

Larry and Toni had only been married for three years after having been introduced by Lion Nick Jones out on the Lion’s shooting range in Groveland. As much as Larry Rescoe has been held in great regard in the community, much can be said for Toni, as she has endeared hundreds of her students many years as an English and Drama teacher at the former Clermont High School.

The Club needs volunteers and always has a welcome mat out for new members.  One way to get to know the Club is to check out their shooting range across from Tractor Supply and the Public Safety Complex in Groveland on SR 50.  They are out there on the 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th Saturdays, 8-noon.  For information, call Club President, Cliff Brown at 631 835-5343.

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The Clermont-Minneola Lions Club received a most wonderful gift this past weekend, when Clermont resident and range patron, Tim Hyden answered a call from the Lions regarding their need to replace the tractor mower they have been keeping together with baling wire and string in order to keep their primary fundraising operation running smoothly. Mr. Hyden’s gift, as shown, is a 23 HP, 50″ cut Craftsman from Lowes. 

The Lions have found the shooting range offers great comradery, pure enjoyment as well as the opportunity to keep skills sharp.  In addition, it is out in the open and quite easy to keep free from virus contamination.

The Club sells straw brooms made by the blind, offers college scholarships, collects and recycles used eyeglasses, sponsors eye exams for special cases, supports the Conklin Center in Daytona Beach, the only facility in the world that offers training to doubly handicapped vision-impaired people of all ages. 

The Club was founded in Clermont in 1949 with service to the community, District 35-O Florida Lions. The Lion International (LCI) was founded in Chicago in 1917.  Lion President, Cliff Brown urges anyone interested in joining the Club to contact him at 613 835-5343 and to come out to the Club range across SR 50 from TRACTOR SUPPLY and Groveland Safety Complex on the 2nd, 3rd and fourth Saturdays, 8 am-noon.  Lions have the range divided into pistol targets and skeet shooting. The range cannot support rifles, however, 22 ga. can be accommodated.  The Club furnishings targets and clays.  Pistol shooting is $15.00 per shooter.  Clays at $5 per 10. 

The next shoot is set for August 14. 

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CLERMONT—MINNEOLA LIONS CLUB has seen more interest from families coming out to the Lion’s shooting range in Groveland, across from Tractor Supply and the new Groveland Safety Complex.

The Lions’ gun range has proven to be a great place to bring the family to learn gun safety and take advantage of the training classes to learn to shoot a pistol/shotgun.

The Club operates on the second, third, and fourth Saturdays of the month from 8 am -noon.  Lions Josh and Mia Rodrigues operate each Saturday with training classes starting at 1:00 pm.  For information contact them at US ACADEMY 407 289-6807.  To volunteer or become a Lion, contact Lion Clif Brown at 631 835-5343

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The Clermont-Minneola Lions Club recently donated toys to the Groveland Police Department for officers to give to children who appear to need comfort.  Domestic calls are some of the most demanding calls an officer is likely to deal with and when children are involved, incredible prudence on the officer’s part can be crucial in damping down emotions.  

The Shooting Range – Lion Sheehan is a retired police officer from the City of New York and is always ready to assist first-timers at the range located across from the new Groveland Public Safety Complex and Tractor Supply.  The Club has a number of fundraisers and is currently offering heritage Harley Motorcycle tee-shirts for $5.00. The Club will have three sizes. Range operations are open to the public from 8 am to noon on the second, third and fourth Saturdays. For information, contact Club President, Clif Brown at 613 835-5343.

Straw brooms will soon be back for sale by the Lions. Straw brooms are required in commercial kitchens as they pick up pathogens while synthetics do not.  They are excellent for garage floors and they are made by the blind with all proceeds going to blind services. 

Reminder: The Club collects used eyeglasses.  Bring your unneeded eyeglasses to drop-off stations at Publix and Walmart and several local optical centers. 

The Club has many more charitable programs and is always looking for volunteers to become Lions. The Club’s meeting date is every second THURSDAY of the month at 6:00 pm at IHOP on S. US 27 in Clermont. 

Learn more about an awesome organization by visiting the website- LIONS CLUB 

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Clermont-Minneola Lions held their first meeting of 2021 at IHOP on S. US 27.  District Governor 35-O Harry Williams was the guest speaker and gave a brief background talk covering the founding of the Lions by Melvin Jones in 1917 in Chicago. 

Williams pointed out that the Lions Club International (LCI), the oldest and largest civic club in the world, has weathered the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918, The Great Depression of the thirties, WWII, and the following wars and epidemics and through all challenges has prevailed. Lions will prevail again because our commitment “WE SERVE” will carry us.

Williams’ birthday fell on the same night as the meeting so the Lions sang Happy Birthday to him at the close of the meeting.

The entire Club experienced one of their best meetings ever as President Clif Brown, proudly wearing his Lion’s jacket, introduced Steve and Diana Lowery, and Mark French who have made applications to join the Club.  Mark’s wife, Cheryl is expected to join him. 

One of the best moments this year was an awesome surprise! The GHOST RIDERS, a group of retired police, firefighters, and veterans expressed their desire to team with the Lions in boosting fundraising efforts in our community.  Lion Clif invited their president, Matt McCurdy, and his most sturdy and fit fellows, all members of the Pipe Hitters Union to become Lions.  Pipes – a reference to their passion in motorcycles.  DG Harry Williams was truly impressed and congratulated the Club for having won an EXCELLENCE award, one of only five given out by the District last year.

The Club’s shooting range, located on SR 50 across the road from Tractor Supply and the new Groveland Public Safety Complex, is growing in popularity and has seen steady growth in spite of difficulties in patrons obtaining ammunition. 

For $15, patrons can use the pistol range from 8 am to noon on the second, third and fourth Saturdays.  The Club provides targets.  For shotgun enthusiasts, the Club offers skeet shooting at $10 per ten clays. Lions provide clays, patrons their one shells.  Lions Mia and Josh Rodriquez take over at 1:00 pm and conduct training sessions for novice and limited certification training such as Conceal and Carry.  Mia is charged with scheduling the range for special parties on dates and times that are available.  For information call (407) 289-6796.  Lion Clif encourages folks to bring a friend and family and look for Lion Nick’s RV out there and come and enjoy coffee and donuts and roast a few marsh mellows around the fire.

The Club is in the process of collecting backpacks containing school supplies to give throughout District 35-O and has an on-going program of helping in outfitting qualified applicants with glasses.  In addition, the public is encouraged to recycle used eyeglasses at drop off points, Publix, Walmart, shooting range.  They are put through lensometers and sent all over the world.  Lions are also collecting used plastic bottle caps which are to be recycled into public park benches.  Vision services are the major fundraising efforts of Lions since Helen Keller appealed to LCI in 1920 to make service to the blind as its primary mission. 

The Club is looking to hold a special memorial service on the range in February for Lion Charlie Neville. Charlie, who died shortly after Christmas was very instrumental in initiating the Club’s chief fundraising program a monthly Turkey shoots for nearly 20 years ago. The Club expects Lions from all over District 35-O to attend as well as many of Charlie and Barbara’s friends from South Lake and Emerald Lakes Village to attend. Further details will be announced.

Lion Nick Jones, longest-serving member of 48 years, presented the Club’s original charter from 1949.  The Club is always on the lookout for new members.  The Club meets monthly, on the second Thursdays, at 6:00 pm at IHOP. 

Contact Lion Clif Brown for information at 631-835-5343.

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