Dan Rossi, BVRS Board Member, told the Bethel Park Lions Club that a blind person can do almost anything that he is willing to put the time and energy into learning how to do.

At the annual Steak Fry on Tuesday, August 3, Dan talked about the thrill of his more than 300 parachute jumps that began at age 16, and climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa. But what tops those thrills, he said, was his biggest accomplishment—getting a job.

Dan has a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from Carnegie Mellon University, and is employed by CMU as the Oracle Database Administrator. In 2006, he married Teresa Brosenitsch, a researcher at the University of Pittsburgh. The couple live in Squirrel Hill and have one daughter, Sofia Grace, who was born November 27th 2009.

Unless they want to be airplane pilots or bus drivers, people with vision impairments can do just about anything that sighted people do, they just find different ways to accomplish the tasks, he said.

“The largest issue any blind person will have to deal with is the sighted person who tells him that he can’t do something,” Dan said.

Dan thanked the Lions for their commitment to supporting agencies such as BVRS, and for their work on behalf of people with vision loss. Dan lost his vision to cancer as a child. A few years after that happened, a Lions Club on Long Island, NY where he lived, gave him a talking calculator that Dan said opened the world of possibilities to him.

After his presentation, the Bethel Park Lions Club made a generous donation to BVRS.

(August 2010)

The Bethel Park Lions recently received a grant from the Pennsylvania Lions Foundation.  The grant proposal was for roof replacement of the Klinzing pavilion in their Lions Park.  The Bethel Park Lions Park is a multi-use facility for the residents of their community.  The park consists of a professional style baseball field, playground and picnic pavilion with kitchen facilities.  The facilities are handicap accessible and are rented to the general public.  In the photo are (L-R) PDG Sylvan Lang (PA Lions Foundation Board member) who presented the foundations’ check to Bethel Park Lions President and Lion Jim.

(August 2010)

As outlined in the International & Multiple District Constitution and By Laws, the Council of Governors has the authority to call for a Special Convention of the Multiple District. The Special Convention must be called for a special reason.

The 2009-10 State Council has voted to call for a Special to be convened for the purpose of endorsing a candidate for the office of 2nd Vice President of Lions Clubs International.

It has been 28 years since our Multiple District 14 has had the opportunity to present a Lion to be elected as a 2nd Vice President of Lions Clubs International. The process will begin by endorsing Lion Harold “Otter” Ott, PID at the Special Convention to be conducted in each Sub-district the week of August 9th to August 15th.

The Special Convention is a very simple process. All Lions in our district are asked to send a full complement of delegates from each Lions Club to vote at the Special Convention. Each Past District Governor also has a vote over and above the Lions Club compliment of delegates. Each Lions Club secretary and Past District Governor will receive their delegate cards from the State Office. There will be no meetings or speeches. Each Lion delegate attending the Special Convention will register, be certified and vote to endorse our proposed candidate.

This District Special Convention will be conducted on Saturday, August 14, 2010 from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm at the Homeville Fire Hall, 3900 Greensprings Ave., West Mifflin.  Google a Map by CLICKING HERE

Pleasant Hills Lions Support Haiti Relief and Induct Six Melvin Jones Fellows

The Pleasant Hills Lions club presented a check to District Chairperson Barbara Schimmel for LCIF relief efforts in Haiti. It represents  funds raised from their annual Spaghetti Dinner.

They also named six new Melvin Jones Fellows to recognize their exemplary service.   The recipients are: (front row left to right) Lions Geoff Temple, Jim Stark, Wayne Severson, Bill Lowman, and Bill Steffen. Club President Janet Hayes accepted for her late husband Tom Hayes. The sixth recipient, Roy Fowler, was out of town. LCIF Chairperson Barbara Schimmel and PDG Jim Brubaker are shown in the back row.

(April 2009)