[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 11920-11921]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  IN CELEBRATION OF THE 60-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE 16 ACRE LIONS CLUB

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. RICHARD E. NEAL

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                         Wednesday, May 9, 2007

  Mr. NEAL of Massachusetts. Madam Speaker, I wish to celebrate the 
accomplishments of the 16 Acre Lions Club as well as their 60 years of 
service to the great city of Springfield, Massachusetts. Below is a 
brief history of the Club as well as their many accomplishments.
  The Springfield 16 Acres Lions Club began on April 25, 1947. The 
Club's charter night occurred on June 18, 1947. In the beginning, the 
meetings were held in various buildings, including Belle's, the Old 
School House, and the Foster Memorial Church. During the 1950s, the 
Club presented movies for the community in the School House for the 
price of a dime. All children were welcomed and no child was ever 
refused for lack of a dime.
  Another hallmark of the Club during the 1950s, was the establishment 
of the Lions Orthopetic Clinic, established by Russell Koch (a past 
President of the Club) in 1951. The patients of the Clinic were 
referred by local ophthalmologists and were charged a fee according to 
their ability to pay. Today the facility remains open and is currently 
located on Maple Street in downtown Springfield.
  Fred Hoare, a past District Governor, formed the sports program. The 
program included events for soccer, basketball, softball, as well as 
baseball. The Club held a soccer tournament every year on Memorial Day 
weekend, with teams from as far away as Virginia participating.
  For the past 37 years, the Club has provided food baskets for needy 
families during the Christmas season. This is coordinated through the 
local churches. Along with food, presents for children are also 
included. Money to support this effort has been raised through a raffle 
ticket sale during the month of November.
  The Club has also provided glaucoma and diabetic testing for the 
community. Eyeglasses as well as eye exams for those in need were 
provided free of charge through authorized facilities. Other charitable 
events included an annual Easter egg hunt held the Saturday before 
Easter at Greenleaf Park. Six local elementary schools participate in 
the Easer egg hunt every year. The Club also organizes a pancake 
breakfast at St. Catherine's on Park Street. The proceeds are used for 
scholarships for graduating high school seniors.
  The Club also raises money for funding of the 33Y Lions District Eye 
Mobile. The mobile will be a fully equipped Winnebago for the testing 
of diabetes, high blood pressure, and glaucoma. The mobile will be 
equipped with a special camera to take photos of the retina. The camera 
will also be equipped with a fax machine that will send the photos to 
the Massachusetts Eye and Ear in Boston for analysis. This project has 
taken over eight years to complete and I am happy to report that it 
will be available this summer for use in any Lions Club in Western 
Massachusetts.
  Fifteen years ago the Club began its participation of a 
beautification project in the center

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of 16 Acres. This project was headed by Lion Richard Messier and is now 
run by Mr. Richard Pond. The Club formed a committee in order to have a 
Lions Park at the corner of Wilbraham Road and Park Street. Members of 
the Club contribute by cutting grass, cleaning up the leaves, and 
planting flowers every spring for the Veterans on Memorial Day. They 
also place Christmas decorations including a lighted train. The Club 
has so far spent $3,500 dollars in order to keep the park beautiful.
  Our Club has produced four District Governors. The late Robert Scott, 
Richard Leary, and Fred Hoare have served in this capacity. PDG John 
Ingalls is still active in the 16 Acres Club. These four men are held 
in high regard and are well respected for their accomplishments.
  Lastly, it is important to note that the success of the many projects 
that this Club has undertaken is due to the dedication of its members. 
Lions truly demonstrate their motto, ``We Serve.''

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