When it comes to major awards, the Tracy Lions Club takes the cake.
The club, and its Help Tuck Them In program, were beneficiaries Tuesday of Lions Clubs International’s Kindness Matters Service Award.
The local chapter is one of 30 out of 49,000 worldwide Lions clubs to receive the award.
“Our Lions club is honored to receive the Kindness Matters Service Award, but we are more honored to continue to serve our community and those in need,” said Tracy Lions President Bob Rialson. “When we started this project, I don’t think any of us realized how much need there is. The families we deliver to are so appreciative. It’s a great feeling to see the smiles on the children’s faces when their own bed is brought in. This would not be possible without the generous support from local businesses and communities.”
Currently, the Help Tuck Them In program has delivered 203 beds with mattresses, sheets and a handmade quilt, and another 60 beds are ready for delivery.
The quilts were donated by local churches. In addition to the beds, 20 cribs have been delivered. All recipients of the beds and cribs live within a 30-mile radius of Tracy, but the Help Tuck Them In group is working on the process of delivering beds to California to help families struggling to rebuild from the wildfires there.
Help Tuck Them In is driven by a number of volunteers and businesses that have made considerable donations to the causes and spearheaded by Lions Joe Buyck and Lori Alf.
Help Tuck Them In recently received $2,300 from Tracy Area Elementary School students’ Penny Wars.
Buyck and Alf recently spoke to the gradeschoolers “It was one of the funnest speaking events that we’ve ever gone to,” Alf said at Tuesday’s award presentation that was attended by 14 fellow Tracy Lions. “We got asked a question we were not prepared for. A fifth-grader wanted to know how he could donate — it melted our hearts. And there was a little boy who told Joe that he didn’t have a bed, he sleeps on the couch. He also asked for one for his siblings. So, on Friday, we are going to bring him and his siblings a bed.”
Alf said the beds aren’t blindly given away. There is an extensive vetting process that takes place before any delivery is made.
“This is one of the best things I have ever done in my life,” said Alf. “It has also been one of the toughest things I’ve ever done.”
• Saturday’s Lions’ dinner/raffle raised $5,725 for the Swift Lake Shelter project. Last year, the club provided funding in the amount of $6,194 for a total contribution to improving the park at $11,919. The funds are a combination of profits from the dinner and other funding provided by the club for a major renovation of the picnic and camping spot.
