Letters to the Editor
Editor,
This letter is being written with a deep appreciation for the San Marcos Lions Club, and their support of our efforts to serve the disabled military veterans in our community.
Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing is a national nonprofit, volunteer organization, serving our injured active duty military troops, and our disabled military veterans. There are more than 220 community programs, in all 50 states, across America.
Typically, we work with VA hospitals, clinics, and Veterans Centers, using fly fishing activities as a form of recreation therapy. Local fly fishing clubs provide expertise via their club members. Our five core activities are:
•Fly tying
•Fly rod building
•Fly rod casting training
•Fly fishing education (includes environmental stewardship)
•Fly fishing outings (local and national)
All equipment, supplies, and training are at no cost to the veteran participant.
We are able to serve our disabled veterans, providing them with their own fly fishing equipment, because of generous donors in the communities we serve.
The San Marcos Lions Club has been a main source of donations for the PHWFF San Marcos program for the past several years. As a result, we have been able to serve hundreds of disabled veterans in the San Marcos area.
Our veteran participants experience healing and hope. Lifetime friendships are formed, and our volunteers have become dedicated to this worthy cause.
Many of our disabled veteran participants have told us, “This program has saved my life.”
Every year, for the past several years, the San Marcos Lions Club has donated much needed financial support for our local program. As a result we have helped many local disabled veterans build their own fly rods, and tie their own flies.
Our local program participates in river clean-up efforts, and eagerly pitches in to help with other community projects. Our sponsoring fly fishing club, Central Texas Fly Fishers,
Our sponsoring fly fishing club, Central Texas Fly Fishers, has been dedicated to the cleanliness of Stokes Park for the past 20 years. Several times a year, our members, along with PHWFF participants, can be seen at the river picking up trash. We love our beautiful river.
Please do everything in your authority to insure that the San Marcos Lions Club continues to operate their tube rental business.
They are a vital partner to us, and many other non-profit service organizations.
Thank you for helping all of us to continue serving our community.
Respectfully yours,
Mike Schlimgen
PHWFF Regional Coordinator
Editor,
Are the residents of San Marcos getting their fair share?
The Lions Club of San Marcos has been serving the citizens of San Marcos for almost eighty years. The Lions have operated the Lions Tube Rental for more than 20 years. The ONLY purpose the Lions have for volunteering their time and efforts there is to make things better for all the citizens of our city.
The Lions provide funds for more than 50 nonprofits, among them: CASA, Hays Caldwell Women's Shelter, Boy Scouts, Food Bank, Honor Flight, Education Foundation, Redwood Community Center, Sights and Sounds of Christmas, Youth Soccer, CFPO, Blanco Regional Recovery Team, SM Housing Authority, Indigenous Cultures Institute, Greenbelt Alliance, River Foundation and others.
The Lions also provide free glasses and exams to those who can't afford them. The Lions give monies to San Marcos schools for shoes, coats, aids for reading and scholarships. The City of San Marcos is paid rent for the Lions Tube Rental and meeting space in the Activity Center, as well as grants for river clean up and funds for the City's Park Ranger to provide law enforcement and emergency services in our parks.
What many don't know is the Lions were a part of providing land the Activity Center and river parks are a part of. There are plaques dedicated to the Lions and their gifts in the Activity Center, the Villages, soon at the new CASA building and the Hays Caldwell Women's Shelter.
So, I have to ask, is the City of San Marcos and residents “getting a fair shake?" The Lions motto is WE SERVE. A not-for-profit business has run the Lions Tube Rental for more than 20 years. No glamour, fame or profit, just a desire to help those in need.
Now the Parks and Rec board seeks to destroy the Lions good works by not recommending a renewal of the lease. What does this say to our community. I ask our city council to renew the Lions lease and let them continue their good works.
Mitch Hoffman, Past President San Marcos Lions Club
Editor,
My name is Chris Gunstream, and I am a member of Lions Clubs International and a member of the Carthage Lions Club, Carthage, Texas. As an immediate past district governor, I have had the privilege to witness the San Marcos Lions Club Tube Rental operation. To say that it is a first-class operation, would not do it justice. The San Marcos Lions Club takes the responsibility of water-way management seriously and continually enforces city, county and state ordinances as they pertain to safety and ecological issues.
For more than 40 years, the San Marcos Lions Club has operated the tube rental and the proceeds from this operation have gone back to the San Marcos community. Countless non-profit organizations have benefited from the proceeds and countless more, if their tube rental is allowed to continue. I find it is always interesting that when a service organization fundraising operations become very successful, there is always another entity that wants to take them over or a group wants to shut them down. If this were to happen, who will help with the needs those needed community-based organizations supported by the efforts of the San Marcos Lions Club tube rental.
It is my opinion that the San Marcos Lions Club must continue to operate their tube rental. The very thought of discontinuing this wonderful service to the community of San Marcos and restricting the giving hands of the San Marcos Lions Club is absurd!
Chris Gunstream
Immediate Past District Governor
MD2-S1, 2019-2020
Lions Clubs International
