Photo from Sussex Leo Club of the Trick Or Treat Food Drive. All photos submitted by Druv Ahuja

Dhruv Ahuja

What is the Leo Club?

The Sussex Leo Club was chartered in 2004 by Lion David Furer, a member of the Lions Club International and principal of Hamilton High School at the time. Initially formed to provide the youth with volunteer opportunities, the Sussex Leo Club has blossomed into something much greater today—a family willing to devote itself to the community.

Not affiliated with Hamilton High School, the Leo Club is a branch of the Sussex Lions Club, meaning meetings are hosted by the board members and adult advisors outside of school hours. Therefore, on every third Wednesday of the month at 6 p.m, the Leos meet in Lab 3 at Hamilton High School to discuss upcoming events, finances, and seasonal activities. The Leos are determined to make an impact within Sussex and beyond, engaging in exciting events all year long.

Seasonal Events

Here are a few of Leo Club’s thrilling events.

Tree Lighting - Taking place annually at the Sussex Civic Center, the Christmas Tree lighting is one of the organization’s most jovial events. Club members are responsible for distributing concessions, assisting children with ornament making, and taking pictures of families with Santa. Seeing the adorable grin on the childrens’ faces is surely going to put you in a festive mood!

Blanket Making - The Blanket Making event is dedicated to supporting the Waukesha County Women's Shelter. The group uses supplies to make cozy blankets from scratch and donates them to the shelter to keep the people warm and comfortable during cold winter months.

Lions Daze - Taking place in July, the annual Sussex Lions Daze is an event in which all the Leos can get involved! Members are responsible for setting up the event, running concession stands, selling water, participating in the parade, and tear-down. Additionally, participation in the festival allows Leo Club an opportunity to raise money for local and national charities, to which funds are allocated at the end of the year.

Trick or Treat Food Drive - Every Halloween, the Leos dress up and host the Trick-or-Treat for the SOS Food Pantry by collecting food items from door to door in the Eagle's Ridge Neighborhood. As word of the event spreads each year, families are enthusiastic to donate canned goods and non-perishable food items, filling shopping carts to the brim with food. In a night to remember, the Leos raised 1,343 pounds of food in the 2021 Trick or Treat.

Contributions

Of the monthly meetings used to supply the Leos with information regarding club events, the last meeting of the year is unanimously the most rewarding and of the most significance. By raising money through predominantly Lions Daze, the club members compile a list of charities and organizations to donate to. The past year, the Leos contributed a total of $3,000 across the associations Wisconsin Lions Camp, Wisconsin Suicide Prevention, The Cure Starts Now, Milwaukee LGBT Center, Women’s Center, Roger’s Behavioral Health, Northcott Neighborhood House, and Alzheimer’s Association. By establishing such a connection with these charitable institutions, Leo Club plans to further expand this network in the upcoming years.

Join the Leos

The Sussex Leo Club is not only the biggest and most active Leo club in the state of Wisconsin, but it also won the Volunteer Group of the Year Award in 2019! With the club growing faster than ever and the member count surpassing seventy Leos, Lauren Gilmartin (President) states:

“I think it is so awesome that our club is growing! All of our Leos are so eager to help out in the community. When I joined the club in 8th grade, the board members outnumbered the club members at the meetings! Over the past few years, our numbers have increased so much. We are organizing new events every year so that all of the Leos have a chance to help out. I will be sad to leave next year, but I’m so excited to see what they do in the future. The Leo club is an amazing organization and I am so happy to be a part of it.”

Joining the Sussex Leo Club is easy and advantageous. If you are between the ages of 12 and 18, are looking to gain service hours and have fun, you can turn in the application and $10 at our next meeting on January 12, 2022. To fill out the application and learn more about the Leo Club, check out the website linked below. Leo club hopes you consider joining to make a difference in the community of Sussex.

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