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BIRMINGHAM — Until Dec. 24, the Beverly Hills Lions Club will be hosting another year of its annual candy cane collection in the village of Beverly Hills. Their collection this year began Nov. 22.
Lions Club members will be collecting donations from the public in the shopping plazas at the 13 Mile and Southfield Road intersection.
“Our motto is ‘We serve,’ and we serve not only the community but those that are in need with the charities that fall under our wing,” Beverly Hills Lions Club President Gordon McMullen said.
The Beverly Hills Lions Club supports a variety of charities year-round. The candy cane collection is one of their biggest fundraising efforts each year. Many of the charities they support specifically help sight- and hearing-impaired individuals.
“The candy cane campaign accounts for over half of the monies that we distribute,” co-Chair Dennis Alberts said. “All of our collections that we get from the public are donated to our beneficiary charities.”
While there are several, some of the primary charities include Leader Dogs for the Blind, the Penrickton Center for Blind Children and the Beaumont Silent Children Fund.
“There are a lot of good organizations that support other very valid causes, but we focus primarily on the sight- and hearing-impaired,” Alberts said.
When you see Lions Club members collecting donations in Beverly Hills, know that they are all volunteers.
Generally, the collections are done by members, but they do accept other volunteers if people express interest.
“We are always looking for people that are interested in serving the community and trying to help others that are in need throughout southeast Michigan,” McMullen said.
To accommodate people who do not always carry around cash, online donations are also accepted now.
“We ask that you, if you can afford to give a little bit of money, every penny, every nickel, every dime, every dollar helps,” Alberts said.
The Lions Club has several annual traditions, including scholarships, fundraising and community events.
“We very much enjoy the support we have had in the past, and we’d like to continue, and we try to serve every year, because the needs are never ending for the sight- and hearing-impaired,” Alberts said.
More information about the Beverly Hills Lions Club can be found at bhlions.org.
