Madison Monona Lions Club News
Madison Monona Lions Club News
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2024-2025 News
2024-2025 News
Meet our new members and their sponsors!
Meet our new members and their sponsors!
Left to right:
Terri O'Neil and sponsor Kim Bonjean
Kevin Voit and sponsor Julie Baglama
December Haas and sponsor Debbie McCann
Alaska Haas and sponsor Sherry Hayes
2025-2026 Club Officers Installed
2025-2026 Club Officers Installed
Past District Governor Ron Wright was present for the Installation of Officers at our meeting on Monday, June 2.
Left to right: Ron Wright, Sue Gundlach, Director; Jill Johnson, Tail- Twister; Tricia Gundlach, Director; John Bollig, Treasurer; Julie Baglama, President; Kim Bonjean, Director
Missing; Kathy Easland, Membership; Paula Schwabe, Secretary
Exciting News: We've Updated our Name!
Exciting News: We've Updated our Name!
The Madison Monona Lioness Lions Club is now officially the Madison Monona Lions Club!
Originally chartered in 1976 as a Lioness Club, we proudly transitioned to a full Lions Club on June 7, 2021, in alignment with Lions Clubs International's updated guidelines. While our name has changed, our commitment to community service remains stronger than ever.
May speaker: Kelly Antonson, Executive Director of GiGi's Playhouse
May speaker: Kelly Antonson, Executive Director of GiGi's Playhouse
GiGi’s Playhouse Madison is a nonprofit Down syndrome achievement center located in the Lake Edge Shopping Center. They offer free, research-based programs for individuals with Down syndrome from prenatal diagnosis through adulthood. All programs are designed to foster personal achievement and self-esteem, preparing participants for success in school and the workforce.
April speaker: Lori Werbeckes from the Wisconsin Council of the Blind and Visually Impaired
April speaker: Lori Werbeckes from the Wisconsin Council of the Blind and Visually Impaired
We had the privilege of welcoming Lori Werbeckes, CFRE Fund Development Director from the Wisconsin Council of the Blind and Visually Impaired to speak at our April meeting.
The Wisconsin Council of the Blind and Visually Impaired is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the dignity and empowerment of individuals in Wisconsin who are blind or visually impaired. Founded in 1952, the Council offers a range of services including advocacy, education, and vision services to enhance the quality of life for people with vision loss.
March speaker: Brenda Collins from Babies and Beyond
March speaker: Brenda Collins from Babies and Beyond
Located on South Stoughton Road, Babies & Beyond offers a collection of free services and resources to help support expecting mothers and families with young children, ages 0 to 4 years old.
Club supports Lindsay's Big Chill at the Polar Plunge
Club supports Lindsay's Big Chill at the Polar Plunge
Lindsay's Big Chill took the big jump at the Polar Plunge on Saturday, February 15. Their team of twenty-one jumpers and over two hundred donors raised over $13,000 for Special Olympics!
Our club donated to this great team again this year and we are so proud of them for their efforts in supporting the Special Olympics.
February speaker: Badger Childhood Cancer Network
February speaker: Badger Childhood Cancer Network
Susannah Peterson, Executive Director of the Badger Childhood Cancer Network, spoke at our February meeting. The organization works closely with Children’s Hospital staff to provide assistance to families who have a child battling cancer. Our club has supported the organization financially and donated Christmas gifts to families over the years.
January speaker: Lion Tony Sobczak
January speaker: Lion Tony Sobczak
We had the honor of having 2nd Vice District Governor Tony Sobczak speak at our monthly meeting. He shared his experiences over the years of service and several wonderful service project ideas for our club. Thank you for the wonderful discussion.
Plastic recycling coming soon to Monona
Plastic recycling coming soon to Monona
The Madison Monona Lioness Lions Club, in partnership with the Monona Sustainability Committee, will soon be collecting plastics for recycling.
We are in the process of developing local drop-off sites for community members to collect and drop off their plastics. Volunteers will pick them up and transport them to Metro Market in Monona to be bundled and sent to NexTrex.
Our plastic waste will be turned into materials to make decks and benches and our club will receive a community bench when we collect 1,000 pounds of plastic.
Stay tuned for more information!
Christmas gifts presented to family of 19-month-old girl battling cancer
Christmas gifts presented to family of 19-month-old girl battling cancer
During the week of December 12, club members delivered Christmas presents for a family of a 19-month-old girl who is battling cancer. She has an eight-year-old sister along with her parents and we fulfilled all their Christmas wishes and then some.
Besides our club money, individual Lions and friends also donated to help us give the family a nice Christmas. This is the second year we have done this.
Pictured: Julie Baglama, Jace, Debbie McCann & Paula Schwabe. Jase is a cancer survivor and was at the Badger Childhood Care Network when we delivered the gifts.
Donations presented to Domestic Abuse Intervention Services (DAIS)
Donations presented to Domestic Abuse Intervention Services (DAIS)
October was Domestic Abuse Violence Awareness Month. Jim McNulty, an active community member of DAIS, spoke at our monthly meeting.
Our Madison Monona Lioness Lions Club along with local businesses Tullys II, KTL & QTI gathered items from the DAIS Wishlist & we dropped them off at the DAIS facility.
Donations presented to Monona Police Department
Donations presented to Monona Police Department
We presented donation checks to Chief Brian Chaney and Officer Andrew Hoffman and K9 Jakko. These funds were raised from our annual raffle in October and will go towards the Shop With A Cop event and the Monona K9 program.
November speaker: Felicia's Donation Closet
November speaker: Felicia's Donation Closet
Felicia supports survivors of domestic abuse and provides them with furniture and household items as they transition to safer living situations away from their abusers.
Thank you, Felicia, for taking the time to speak to our club
Club hosts its largest fundraiser of the year
Club hosts its largest fundraiser of the year
On Saturday, October 19th, we hosted our largest fundraiser of the year at Tullys II in Monona. This year’s Money Raffle grand prize winner of $1,500 was Sara Batker.
Net proceeds from the Money Raffle ticket sales will be donated this year to the Monona Police Department’s K-9 unit and the Monona Police Department’s Shop with A Cop event.
We were lucky to have a visit from Officer Hoffman and Monona’s K-9 dog Jakko. K9 Jakko joined the Monona Police Department on January 3rd, 2022, and Officer Andrew Hoffman became the new K9 handler.
2024-2025 club officers installed
2024-2025 club officers installed
New Officers were installed at our August meeting.
Front row from left to right: Deb McCann, Past President; Julie Baglama, Current President; Sue Gundlach, Director; Kathy Easland, Membership; Tricia Gundlach, Director; Phil Ingwell, Past International Director
Back Row: Jill Johnson, Tail- Twister; Kim Bonjean, Director; John Bollig, Treasurer; Missing - Paula Schwabe, Secretary
2024 Stuff the Bus
2024 Stuff the Bus
Thank you to our many volunteers and participants who donated to Stuff the Bus. We helped make the start of the new school year very special for many children!
2023-2024 News
2023-2024 News
2024 Scholarship winners
2024 Scholarship winners
Congratulations to our two scholarship winners!
Monona Grove High School: Ariana Griffin will be attending Madison College
La Follette High School: Aspen Siefert will be attending St. Louis University.
Lion Joan Schneider's hats
Lion Joan Schneider's hats
Lion Joan Schneider uses her talents to help others. She sewed these Tag Blankets for the Madison Reading Project - My First Pages Packs. She made 25 fleece hats for the Hat Ladies and Gentlemen Volunteer Project. She finished 12 large fleece blankets for the Madison Chapter of Project Linus.
Over the course of the summer, she created 35 knit and crocheted dishcloths that will be donated to RSVP Dane County to assist with gift bags to families in the Allied Neighborhood Association as well as other families in need as a part of their holiday gift drive. Thank you Joan!
Fall 2023 Raffle
Fall 2023 Raffle
We have a winner! Patty Easland won $1,500 at our fall raffle. She is pictured in the first photo with Lion Kathy Easland who sold the winning ticket.
All the funds raised were donated to the Madison Reading Project. Pictured in the second photo are Rowan Childs and Deirdre Steinmetz of the Madison Reading Project, Patty Easland, Club President Deb McCann and Treasurer John Bollig.
A special thanks to Tully’s II and all the volunteers!
2023 Stuff the Bus
2023 Stuff the Bus
Stuff the Bus Collections at Hy-Vee gathered lots of donations and school supplies! Good work everyone!
2022-2023 News
2022-2023 News
Certificate of appreciation presented to Felicia Wagner
Certificate of appreciation presented to Felicia Wagner
Felicia Wagner was honored for her untiring efforts to help her neighbors who were victims of a local apartment building fire. Felicia saw a need and went to work providing assistance to neighbors who became homeless due to this tragic fire that killed one neighbor and left many without housing and their possessions. Many victims were elderly and/or disabled.
Pictured from left to right is Felicia, her daughter Rina, Deb McCann, and Phil Ingwell.
2023-2024 club officers installed
2023-2024 club officers installed
New Officers were installed at our June meeting.
Front row from left to right: Sue Gundlach, Director; Deb McCann, President; 2nd Row: Julie Baglama, Vice-President; Tricia Gundlach, Director; Kathy Easland, Membership and John Bollig, Treasurer; Back row: Jill Johnson, Tail- Twister; Paula Schwab, Secretary; Kim Bonjean, Director
2023 Memorial Day parade
2023 Memorial Day parade
We honored female veteran Jill Keip in the Monona Memorial Day Parade.
Service Project of the Year award
Service Project of the Year award
Our club received the Service Project of the Year Award at the 27-D1 District Lions Convention on March 11 at the Marriott in Middleton for being part of the Lions Clubs team in Zone 2.
We partnered with Hy-Vee grocery stores, two of them in Madison and one in Fitchburg. HyVee’s registered dietitian Aryn DeGrave worked hard with us to set up this free testing subsidized by HyVee and the district. This was a great project to raise awareness for diabetes.
Polar Plunge at Olin Park
Polar Plunge at Olin Park
The Polar Plunge, a major fundraiser for Special Olympics, was held at Olin Park.
Pictured are Athlete Jake Casper, his mother Lori, Lion Julie Baglama, and Lion Kathy Easland
Fall 2022 raffle winner
Fall 2022 raffle winner
Kristi Beaubian was the $1,500 prize winner at our fall raffle on October 15th. There was lots of food and drink, raffle prizes and other lucky winners. Many thanks to Tully’s II for providing the liquid refreshment and location.
2021-2022 News
2021-2022 News
Scholarship Winner
Alfredo Bowen, Senior from Madison La Follette High School receiving the Madison Monona Lioness Lions Club scholarship. Alfredo is pictured with Kim Bonjean.
Memorial Day Parade
Memorial Day Parade
Retired Marine Isabel Laing who lives in McFarland was our honored female veteran in the Monona Memorial Day Parade.
Dr. Alexander Miranda spoke at our May meeting
Dr. Alexander Miranda, Chair of the UW Pediatric Opthalmology Department spoke at our meeting on May 2nd.
Project of the Year
Project of the Year
Julie Baglama accepts the certificate the Madison Monona Lioness Lions Club received for Project of the Year.
The Hat Ladies and Gentlemen are a volunteer group coordinated by Nancy Daly that cut and sew fleece fabric into hats for adults and children.
MMLLC donated fleece fabric and members Kim Bonjean, Jill Johnson and Joan Schneider volunteered.
Little Library at Schluter Beach Park
Little Library at Schluter Beach Park
Monona Parks and Recreation installed our Little Library at Schluter Beach Park.
Many Many Thanks to Jill's husband Steve for building and donating this to us.
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