Rimersburg Lions Club Completes Multiple Community Service Projects

The Rimersburg Lions Club has been living up to its motto, “We Service”, as it’s tackled a multitude of projects in the Rimersburg area over the past several months.  

Starting in January and running through May, the community service organization put a spotlight on a Union High School senior by awarding them with a Student of the Month Award plaque for outstanding achievement in a particular school academic course. Typically, the student was accompanied by their teacher and parent or guardian at the affair.  Rimersburg Lions Club members Dan George and Jim Kifer were both instrumental in organizing the project. 

Over the last several months, the Rimersburg Club has also collected numerous supply items (household paper products, cleaning products, and first aid supplies) to send to the Beacon Lodge Camp, a Pennsylvania Lions Club camp, located in the central part of the state that is utilized exclusively for the blind, sight-impaired and disabled. Rimersburg Lion Richard Barger, Jr. was in charge of the annual collection project for the Club.  In addition, the Rimersburg organization has also made several recent financial donations to the Beacon Lodge Camp for the blind and disabled.  Any area sight-impaired or blind or disabled individual interested in attending the camp should contact the Rimersburg Lions Club for additional information.

At the end of April, the Club participated in the statewide Pick-Up PA litter collection program by sponsoring a Route 68 Litter Pick-up between the Rimersburg Borough line to the Huey Road in Toby Township with 22 large bags of garbage collected by Rimersburg Lion Alan Carmichael, coordinator of the event, and Lions Dan George, Greg Mortimer, Richard Barger, Jr. and 2 area non-lions. 

In late April, the Club spearheaded a Kindergarten Eye Screening Program among this fall’s incoming kindergarten students at Sligo Elementary School with a specialized eye screening camera that detects five different eye disorders. Lion Greg Mortimer, coordinated the event, along with the assistance of Margaret Graham, Susie Crick and Lion Sydney Varner Hiles. 

In addition, on May 6, 2025, the Rimersburg Lions Club sponsored an American Red Cross Blood Drive at Union High School where they set a record by successfully collecting 38 blood donations for their half day of work.  As a result of collecting over 30 blood donations at an educational institution (Union High School), the American Red Cross will be awarding a college-bound Union High School senior a $250.00 scholarship towards their higher education this fall.  Once again, Lion Greg Mortimer headed this project, with the assistance of Lions Roger Crick, Jim Kifer, Mike Graham, Rich Barger, Alan Carmichael, Brenda Haws, students of the Union High School National Honor Society, and Union High School teacher Anthony Beveridge.

Finally, the RImersburg Lions recently recognized Rimersburg area resident, Cathy Carmichael, with the Heart of A Lion Award, which highlights the positive work a non-Lion performs in the community.  The award went to Carmichael for all her founding efforts and continued organization of the Blessing Kids Project which provides packets of food for over the weekends to non-high school students in Union School District. 

The Rimersburg Lions Club funds its charities projects through the sale of Lions Club brooms located in Rimersburg area businesses and through its annual August Chambersburg Peach Sale.  

The Rimersburg Lions Club holds its semi-monthly dinner meetings the 2nd and 4th Mondays of each month beginning at 6:00 p.m. at the Korner Restaurant. Any individuals interested in joining the organization should contact Membership Chair, Lion Brenda Haws, at (484) 459-3882.