The Lions Club of Tumby Bay & District, with 38 active members, has already contributed more than 1,100 hours of direct community service this year and is on track to reach a record-breaking 1,800 hours by the end of June.

The club boasts an outstanding membership record, with founding member Richard Curtis still providing continuous active service. He is joined by 12 other members who have each served the club and community for more than 20 years.

The latest member to join the club’s “20 Plus” years of service group is Wayne Branson, who was officially recognised at the club’s most recent dinner meeting. Zone Chairman Iain Adams presented Wayne with his 20-year service award insignia. Wayne was also honoured as the recipient of the Kopman Trophy in 2024.

Club Secretary Horry Richardson compiles the club’s community service records, which are logged with Lions International and are available for public scrutiny. Horry says, “the recorded hours reflect only the club’s direct face-to-face community service and do not include the many additional hours spent planning activities, managing finances, promoting events, and handling administration. When those hours are taken into account, the Lions Club in Tumby would at least double the recorded number of hours.

The club’s support for health, education, medical services, community events, and family care initiatives is made possible through its ongoing fundraising efforts, including weekly hotel meat tray raffles, doughnut stalls, sausage sizzles, auctions, and clearance sales.

Club President David Pearson said the dedication and reliability of this group of willing volunteers is a testament to the strong community spirit of the town. He said the club’s stability and connection to the community also reflect the foresight of the founding members who established the Lions Club of Tumby Bay in 1979.

Lions International is the largest service club organization in the world. Lions, Tumby Bay welcomes new members. Interested women and men of all ages are encouraged to contact the club and to come along to a dinner meeting to get to know members, to enjoy the hospitality and understand the valuable work undertaken in the community. Just talk to a member, they will be pleased to extend an invitation.

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