Janesville Lions Club

11/05/2026

Earlier this week our club's monthly AM meeting was graciously hosted by the Boys & Girls Club of Janesville at their beautiful new facility on South Jackson Street. We received a tour of the building led by CEO Rebecca Veium, who shared the organization's mission and the services it provides, and how the new building allows them to serve many more kids with expanded programs and services, including a daily dinner meal.

Longtime Lion Al Bates was in attendance and shared stories of his involvement with the organization, which he helped found back in the late 1980s.

During the meeting our club presented the BCG with a $1,000 donation toward their operational costs. These funds represent a portion of the proceeds from our annual chicken roast fundraiser, held in early September.

Thanks to the BCG for hosting us, and extra thanks to everyone who supports our club via our three annual fundraisers. Our generosity helps us support donations to great local organizations like the BCG carry out their mission.

If you'd like to learn more about our club, its members, our projects and services, or our mission, please reach out via Messenger or through our website (janesvillelions.org). We'd love to host you at an upcoming service project or meeting!

LOOK WHO STOPPED BY! 🦁

A huge THANK YOU to the Janesville Lions Club for their recent generous donation to our Club kids! We also loved welcoming their members for a tour of our new Club and hosting one of their monthly meetings in our new Community Room!

DID YOU KNOW? The Janesville Lions Club has been making a difference in our community since 1922! That's more than a CENTURY of service! From supporting local programs and providing grants to maintaining the Ice Age Trail right behind our new Club, their commitment to Janesville is remarkable.

To the Janesville Lions Club: Thank you for more than 100 years of showing up for our community—and for continuing to invest in its future through our Club kids! 💙

10/27/2026

Member Spotlight: Maria Schoville, Janesville Lions Club Member since 2023 🦁

For Maria Schoville, service is a family tradition. With a father who has been a dedicated Lion for years, Maria first caught the Lions' spirit at the Annual Chicken Roast. Seeing everyone work together, have fun, and raise funds for Janesville was all it took; she officially joined the club the very next month!

Professionally, Maria serves our community as an Education Consultant and IEP Coordinator at the Wisconsin School for the Blind & Visually Impaired, tying seamlessly into Lions International's global mission of vision support and local school vision screenings.

"Joining the Lions Club is a great way to feel connected to your community! There are opportunities to learn about other local organizations during meetings, and the big fundraising events like the Rose Sale and the Annual Chicken Roast bring people together with joy and food!" — Maria Schoville

Thank you, Maria, for your energy, leadership, and heart for service right here in Janesville! Want to get involved? Message us or visit janesvillelions.org to learn how you can join us as a guest at an upcoming meeting!

10/21/2026

Have you been by Lions Beach lately? Notice anything different?

A hearty group of Janesville Lions and friends, members of the Joseph A. Craig High School Leo Club and their advisor, and even a few young "future Lions" spent a recent, sunny Saturday morning spiffing up the property.

Volunteers cleared the bath house gutters and power-washed the building (WOW, WHAT A DIFFERENCE!), cleaned up landscaped areas and trimmed bushes and trees, and removed dead vegetation to make way for new plantings.

These are the initial steps our club will take during the next year to spend hundreds of volunteer hours and $20,000 on upgrades and improvements to the park property.

Next spring we will repaint the bath house trim, update and replace the window covers with fresh artwork (in conjunction with the Craig Leo Club and art department), and some surprises.

The largest piece of our efforts will be working with Janesville Parks & Recreation to extend the sidewalk about 300 feet from the picnic pavilion to the sun dial, making that feature accessible to all. Additional concrete will be added to the pavilion area, adding space for large groups and events held there.

We're proud of our namesake park and look forward to making these improvements for the entire community to enjoy.

The weather forecast for the next few days looks beautiful, so treat yourself to a walk in the park to see the changes before Old Man Winter descends upon us!

10/16/2026

Thursday, Oct. 15 is observed as White Cane Day and was celebrated locally with a presentation coordinated by the Wisconsin Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Students, staff, and alumni took turns speaking about the history of white canes, how the canes help those with low or no vision navigate daily life and alert others about their vision issues, and laws that were passed in Wisconsin and across the country that require motorists to stop and give space (at least 10 feet) to anyone using a white cane as they cross a roadway. It was a very informative session, and all the speakers did a fantastic job!

10/14/2026

October 15 is recognized as White Cane Day. If you don't know what that means, the Wisconsin Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired has an event planned to help you learn.

Join the WCBVI’s celebration of White Cane Day at 1:45 PM on Thursday at the Marvin W. Roth Pavilion at Courthouse Park in Downtown Janesville,.

In the event of rain, this event will be held in the Program Room at the Hedberg Public Library, Janesville.

WCBVI students will present on the history of the white cane and importance of accessibility in our communities. The presentation will last approximately 30 minutes. All members of the community are invited.

We invite you to join our club in learning more about how the visually impaired members of our community use white canes to navigate daily life!

10/01/2026

Do you have a few hours available on Saturday to help us beautify Lions Beach?

Now that the beach is closed for the season, our club is embarking on $20,000 in updates and improvements to the park and bath house building.

This Saturday from 8am-noon we'll be doing some prep work, including power washing the building, cleaning out gutters, prepping windows and trim for paint, cleaning up landscaped areas, removing dead brush, raking and relocating existing landscape rocks, and trimming some trees.

If you'd like to lend a hand, the more the merrier! Reach out to us via PM and let us know you'll be there, or just show up and we'll put you to work!

All tools will be provided, but bringing a pair of work gloves is recommended. We hope to see you there as we work side-by-side to improve on of our city's popular recreation spots!

09/29/2026

Member Spotlight: Dave Welton, Janesville Lions Club Member since 2003 🦁

What started as an invitation to a Lions dinner hosted by Lion Al Bates more than 20 years ago turned into a lifelong commitment to service. Now retired, Dave still finds purpose in the hands-on projects we tackle and the lasting friendships built along the way.

"We support local projects in several areas: vision screening for students, eye tissue transport from donors to recipients, and recycling eyeglasses; provide scholarships; and have great social and fellowship opportunities." — Dave Welton (far right, at the latest Chicken Roast), Janesville Lions Treasurer.

Thank you, Dave, for your incredible leadership and dedication to serving Janesville! Want to get involved? Message us or visit our website to learn how you can join us.

09/23/2026

Earlier this week Lion Dave delivered a load of 3,400+ pairs of used eyeglasses, donated by community members at one of our 30+ drop boxes in the Janesville area, to the Wisconsin Lions Foundation, Inc.'s eyeglass recycling facility in Rosholt, WI.

Each pair is inspected, cleaned, its prescription read, and then packaged for use on eyeglass missions in the US and abroad.

Want to learn more, or do you have old glasses lying around that you'd like to donate? Visit our website (link in the comments) for more information and a map of local drop-off locations.

09/16/2026

Thanks to everyone who attended our annual Chicken Roast fundraiser on Saturday, Sept. 12! We were (finally!) blessed with a perfect late-summer day to enjoy a day at Traxler Park.

Thanks to all the Lions and friends of our club who worked diligently and tirelessly to make this event fun and successful. Your efforts are what Lionism is all about!

A portion of the proceeds from the event will be donated to the Boys & Girls Club of Janesville, and the remainder will support our clubs projects and services, as well as college scholarships.

The leftover chicken halves are being put to good use by The Salvation Army Rock County at their meal sites. Hunger is one of Lions Clubs International's core missions, and we're proud to play a small part in ensuring our community is fed.

This event would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors and supporters, including Alsum Farms & Produce, Frito-Lay, Kwik Trip, Jay's Big Rolls, Inc., and Woodman's Food Market.

If you're interested in learning more about our club, what we do, and how much fun we have doing it -- don't wait until our next public event! Reach out via Facebook or on our website; we'd love to host you at an upcoming service project or meeting!

04/02/2026

Time is running out ... have you ordered your roses yet?? Online orders must be received by 6PM on Wednesday, April 8.

This is our club's largest annual fundraiser; proceeds benefit all of our community programs, services, and donations!

The Janesville Lions Club conducts a Rose & Carnation Sale each spring, its largest fundraiser. Free home & business delivery.