Lions Club of Taos Our Year in Review July 1, 2024 - June 30, 2025

To our New Mexico Lions,

Wow, another great year for the Taos Lions. For the 2^nd year in a row, we were voted the Best Civic Organization in Taos by the Community. The Drive-for-Sight Charity Golf Tournament was again a successful fundraiser. Our membership continued to grow from 41 members on July 1, 2024, to 55 members on July 1, 2025. We have served the Communities of Taos County in so many ways, including our newest Programs– the Taos Kids Eye Van and the CHATE/TEBS Respite Caregivers Program!

Welcome to our New and Returning Lions!

Mary Alexander, Tom Alexander, George Basham, Evan Behrens, Kim Cruz, Lou Cruz, Jim Fell, Steve Gates, Tom Krudewig, Edwarde May, Cissy McCrary, David Miller, Bill Murray, Barbara Pawlowski, Gary Vest

A Look Back at 2024-2025

Member Retreat – August 2024

Lion Bill Waugh Celebration – 100 people in attendance at Taos Country Club A Rollicking Holiday Party at Casa Benavides Inn

Social event – Music at Mary’s Place New Member Orientation

Drive-for-Sight – Donor Recognition Event Town of Taos Teen Glow - Six Lion Volunteers Big Brothers/Big Sisters Bowling Tournament

Social outing – Philmont – Running of the Horses – Cimarron, NM Eyeglass Recycling Pizza Party

Twenty-one (21) Membership Meetings “The Richness of Taos” Speakers

·       Larry Vincent, son of the late Taos Musicologist Jenny Wells Vincent

·       George Rankin and Colin Nicholls, UNM Observatory

·       Teresa Ruiz, North Central NM Economic Development District – Medical Transportation

·       Susan Mihatic, SOMOS - Young writers Program

·       Adrienne Smith - New Mexico Caregivers Coalition

·       Mary Pencin – The Wild Animals of Zambia – Dan Moore Video

·       Ethalynn Tollett, Lions 40N District Governor

·       Michael Santistevan – Kit Carson Electric Public Relations Officer

·       Mary Gray, Taos Behavioral Health

·       C.J. Grace, Taos Community Foundation CEO

·       Sam Favero-Burke – Unity Through Arts & Culture – work in Senegal

·       Colleen Shaughnessy, Youth Heartline Executive Director

·       Steve Gates, Afghan National Scouting Organization

·       Jennifer Pawlowski, attorney, Veterans Benefits

Ten (10) Board of Directors Meetings Nomination Committee Meetings

Drive-for-Sight Charity Golf Tournament

June 21, 2025

84 golfers

Thirty Lions gave their time, treasure & talent to help make this a success!

TOTAL Grants received Fiscal Year 2024-25: $123,850

Community support for our programs: Kids Eye Van, CHATE (Student Assistance for UNM Health Programs and our Respite Caregiver Program), Adult Vision, Tio Vivo Carousel, Flags on Plaza

Kidsight – 2,901 children were screened! Many thank you’s to Mary Pencin and all her Volunteers!

24 Schools Served

6,470 miles traveled in Taos County

805 Referrals to Eye Professionals – 28%

26 Volunteers – 21 Lions & 5 Community Members 917 Hours of Volunteer’s time

Kidsight Christmas Raffle

New vision/reading Program initiated by Mary Elizabeth Hughes

Kids Eye Van

·       April 2025 – Eye Van arrived in Taos!

·       Scheduled to visit 600 children in 36 visits to 24 schools, beginning Sept. 23, 2025.

·       Three Optometrists have volunteered to “Man the Van”

·       Dr. Randall Cox and Susie Cox – are making an extraordinary effort to help us with equipment, procedures & protocol.

·       23 Lions and Community members have volunteered to staff the Eye Van

·       Equipment is being purchased and installed, Van being retrofitted/renovated, equipment being installed, mechanical and other maintenance is being performed, and Eye Van graphics are in the works.

Eyeglass Collections - 1,400+ pairs collected and sent to Lions International. Thank you, Ron Stoner!

New Program Chair: Judy Cockburn

Adult Vision – Thanks to Andy Johnson, Program Chair

83 Adults received glasses 148 hours of volunteer time 2,820 miles driven

Community Charities – Donations made to support Youth in our Commumity:

SOMOS Young Writers Program, Habitat for Humanity, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Youth Heartline, Taos Lego League

Our Historic Tio Vivo Carousel

Taos Fiesta – 3 days on July 19, 20,21, 2024

Touch-a-Truck – 1 day on August 19, 2024

Couse-Sharp Historic Site Community Day – 2 days on June 6-7, 2025

·       Well over 3,000 children rode our beloved 1890’s Carousel.

·       120 Lions hours per outing = 360 hours, plus repair & upgrade crew hours of at least 150 hours.

·       Set up/take down crew and operations crew are now well trained in Carousel procedures and safety.

·       Rehab/upgrade work completed on Bullwheel crane and trailer

·       Tio Vivo exhibit at the Couse-Sharp Historic Site in the Luna Chapel is up until beginning of November

·       Six-page Article on Tio Vivo by Wayne Rutherford appeared in the Merry-Go-Round Up. – It is on the Cover

·       Purchased “Amelia and the Magic Ponies” children’s book about Tio Vivo.

Community Health and Technical Education - CHATE

The Lions awarded $21,270 to UNM student Programs

Taos Elder Benevolent Services – TEBS

Extraordinary work with Elders in our community

Lightning Strikes – Community Clean-ups –

Taos Plaza – October 2, 2024 Kit Carson Rd. - April 22, 2025

Coordinated with Town of Taos on 1st Wednesdays & 3rd Saturdays, May to October 2024

Other community activities

Taos Fall Arts Festival – Tio Vivo Model set up – Displayed for the week

Tio Vivo model set up at the Legacy Café in Downtown Taos for 8 months. Maybe semi-permanent location Chamber of Commerce Events representing Taos Lions.

Collected reading glasses for teachers in Senegal.

Media Presence

Facebook – Lions Club of Taos & Friends of Tio Vivo Carousel Facebook Pages – thanks to Kim Cruz! Instagram – Lions Club of Taos

Web page – www.lionscluboftaos Email – taoslions@gmail.com

Taos News – weekly announcement of our meetings

Flags on the Plaza – 2024-2025       7 times

Set up for all major holidays –4th of July, Labor Day Sept. 2nd, Sept. 11th, Indigenous People Day October 14th, Veterans Day Nov. 11th , Memorial Day May 27th, and Flag Day June 4th.