Lions have been serving Rathdrum for 60 years
RATHDRUM – It’s hard to miss the Rathdrum Lions.
First, they recently celebrated 60 years of service to the Rathdrum area. Second, they are always in the news, selling something, supporting a project or volunteering. And third, there’s the Lions building just east of town.
The Rathdrum Lions Club was organized in 1947, with the simple but powerful motto “We Serve.” And that is just what this small group has done.
Dedicated to the betterment of their community and the world at large, hundreds of Rathdrum residents have worn the Lions’ pin-encrusted, gold and purple vests proudly, and the service they have given is immeasurable.
It’s hard to miss the results of their community service around town. They put a water system in Pine Grove Cemetery and researched and protected a small Chinese cemetery that lies on the property. Rathdrum City Hall sits on land they donated, and thousands of Rathdrum children have played on equipment they installed in City Park.
The Lions also built four ball fields that they lease to the Little League for $1 each year. The fields are in constant use in the summer.
“The ball fields are a huge benefit to the community,” said club President Cherry Heitstuman. “The Little League would not have any place to play without these playfields.”
Although these big projects are easy to spot, the majority of work the Rathdrum Lions do is behind the scenes.
They donate thousands of dollars to worthwhile causes, support area kids and, following the commitment of the International Lions Club, provide service to the blind and visually impaired.
Last year, in addition to their volunteer service in the community, this group of 45 raised and donated nearly $25,000. They made considerable donations to Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, Habitat for Humanity, the skateboard park, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Boy Scouts, D.C. Kids, Rathdrum Food Bank and Lakeland High School students going to Mexico to build a water system.
The Lions also gave two scholarships and made donations to Lakeland Little League Baseball, Gem Boys State, Dirne Clinic and Ronald McDonald House. They donated to the Hauser Lake Lions Club to help with cataract surgery, the Lions sight and hearing van, leader dogs and the Low Vision Clinic.
The group provided more than $4,000 for a cornea transplant for a 3-year-old girl, sponsored a benefit breakfast for a family facing medical bills due to cancer, provided funds for gasoline to make cornea deliveries and raised $1,000 during White Cane Day.
But the Lions’ service doesn’t stop with donations. The Rathdrum Lions also collected 1,455 pairs of eyeglasses and 22 hearing aids for recycling, provided 19 free eye exams and glasses, provided more than 1,000 hours and drove more than 1,000 miles to help the Ronald McDonald House with a fundraiser, paid for camp for two diabetic children, helped with deliveries for the Spokane and Seattle eye banks, sponsored the Lions Health Screening Unit visit and are helping the city build a new facility in City Park.
Each year, the Lions raise money to support community service projects. Raffling big-ticket items – such as the 1966 Ford Mustang they are offering this year – is their main moneymaker. The group also operates a fireworks booth, holds a large auction, sponsors a car show during Rathdrum Days, offers a Labor Day breakfast and operates a small RV park.
Over the years, the Rathdrum Lions Club has grown and changed with the times.
In the 1950s, the club paid $300 for the 10 acres their clubhouse sits on and later purchased their building from Farragut. And when women were allowed to join in 1987, the Rathdrum Lions welcomed them right away. Heitstuman, who joined in 2001, is the club’s first woman president.
“It’s gratifying to know you can help people who otherwise may never be able to get the help they need,” Heitstuman said.
Eleven Rathdrum Lions members have received the Melvin Smith Award for their service and work on behalf of the Lions during the past 60 years. Plaques, displayed at the clubhouse, honor Alfred “Al” Stein, Les Sheldon, Eugene “Skeet” McGrath, Ray Sheldon, James Tuttle, Robert Lavendure, Herbert Singer, Gordon McQuarrie, Cody Simpson, Norman Heitstuman and Mike Fritz.