Lions welcome new president and raise a further $30,000 for charity.

Kyiv Lions Club, following the annual tradition, announces the new president for 2010 at the Gala Dinner and raises additional funding for charitable projects - bringing the total funds for this year to approximately $170,000

12^th December 2009 - Lions gather in black tie and cocktail dresses at the Hyatt Regency Kyiv hotel to celebrate this year’s charitable achievements and welcome the announcement of the new president for 2010. The event was a great success and in true Lions club fashion, displayed plenty of individual generosity and collective merriment.

Kyiv Lions Club is a voluntary community service organization whose members include both expatriate and Ukrainian citizens that has been active in Ukraine since 2002. The club operates in Kyiv and its surrounding regions in a fundraising, organizational and service capacity with prime focus on aiding the needy and underprivileged.

To date in KLC’s 2009 donations total approximately $140,000 in support of 12 developmental and critical-need causes, the highlights being:

• Paediatric Department of the Neurosurgery Institute, Kyiv - In 2008, the KLC purchased an ultrasonic dissector/aspirator, and in 2009 also purchased essential accessories. The KLC partnered with INS to commit funds labour and materials for major refurbishment and renovation of the clinic. $36,618.60 USD

• Bone Marrow Transfer & Reference Centre - KLC provided funding to the Bone Marrow Transfer & Reference Centre in order to provide three very important pieces of equipment for this new facility. $25,000 USD

• All-Ukrainian Association of Palliative Care - The KLC helped improve the end-of-life conditions and environment for terminally ill elderly and disabled patients at two Kyiv elderly care centres and two Kyiv city hospitals. $15,699.73 USD

The primary source of funding for these donations are three fundraising events held throughout the year, culminating in the Presidents Gala Dinner. The $30,000 was raised by auction and raffle and represents a supreme effort of generosity, on the part of sponsors who donated prizes, and those in attendance who bid for them.

Thanking those involved Curtis ‘BJ’ Bjelajac (current Lion president) commented:

“We are grateful to all our sponsors who donated products and services to help raise additional proceeds through auction. Altogether thirty-one companies, both Ukrainian and International extended their generous support. All funds will have a direct effect in supporting worthy causes.”

Dave Young (2010 president elect) commented:

“It is important that those of us with the ability to make change actually do something about it. Events such as this really allow individuals to demonstrate this understanding. The funds themselves are essential to the KLC’s ability to continue its social-charitable work and 100% of it filters down directly to Kyiv’s underprivileged. I hope to continue the previous presidents work steering the Kyiv Lions club under the banner ‘We Serve’ and see more opportunities for Lions to get stuck-in and get their hands dirty.”