Baguio club wins top Lions int’l award

By Ramon Dacawi

BAGUIO CITY -- Members of Lions Clubs all over the world roared for the Baguio City (Host) Lions Club as it received the Beacon Award for outstanding service at their 94th International Convention last July 7 in Seattle, Washington State.

Baguio Host president Moody Imayaho remembers he rose and punched the air in jubilation when the club’s “Eye Run Coz I Care” was declared all throughout Lionism as the best service project to the blind or visually impaired.

“The announcement that Baguio won was overwhelming as Lions International, with over 1.4 million members, has over 45,000 clubs spread out to 206 countries from which to select the best,” Imayaho recalled. ”It was an awesome confirmation of the power of the collective work of the club members and supporters, and of the vision of the pioneers who founded the club on November 21, 1950.”

Lions International president Sid Scruggs III presented the award, just after the speech of business magnate and philanthropist Bill Gates at the convention’s second plenary session at the Key Arena at Seattle Center.

Outside, the giant billboard flashed the club’s name. Inside, the Host Club received another award, this time for having the best newsletter with its March issue of “The Roaring Times” edited by Charmaine Chan and laid out by Melissa Oriente.

On page 10, Jingle Melanie Ku detailed how Lions members conceptualized and enhanced “Eye Run”, called on13-year old Dannielle Marquez and photo artist Ompong Tan for the poster design then tapped seasoned marathon organizer and runner Che Alberto as race director for the fun run that drew some 700 runners last Oct. 24.

Six-time Milo Marathon champion Rony Vence, Imayaho and past club president Ed Claridad fired off the 16K, 5K and 3K runs in that order. Imediate past governor of District 301-C and city councilor Elmer Datuin then signaled 20 blind children who were guided by Lions and students from Brent and the University of the Cordillera to a 400-meter run along Lake Drive of the Burnham Park.

“What caught most of the spectators’ attention was when 6-year old visually impaired Paulene Navalta, our poster girl, crossed the finish line with her dad completing the 3K run,” Melanie wrote.

Proceeds from the fun run hit the P40,000 mark, divided equally and turned over to the NLAB and the Red Cross.

Teacher Dora of Northern Luzon Association for the Blind (NLAB) summed the event with a thank you text to the organizers: “nag-njoy &v. hapy mga bata. A great day 4 evrybody. More power n Godbles.”

No one had the inkling that “Eye Run ‘coz I Care” would emerge one of three finalists for the international award, much less win the top prize, ahead of “World Sight Day Low Vision and Trachoma Screenings” of Bangui Ita, Central African Republic and “Mobile Eye Hospital Unit of Guapore, Brazil.

Whatever, the project idea found inspiration from the personal code of Melvin Jones, the founder of Lions: “You can’t get very far until you start doing something for somebody else.”

The Host Lions did not have to look and go far beyond the NLAB and the local Red Cross to be of help to somebody else. And because “Eye Care” made it to the final of the international award, Imayaho, together with his wife Edith, district Gov. Westly Rosario and spouse, past district Gov. Modesto Pacquing and spouse and vice-Gov. Evelyn, had to go far to Seattle.

“This award is a recognition of team and community work, not only of the Host Club but the residents of Baguio, the city from where it serves,” Imayaho said.

Earlier, Imayaho was declared the most outstanding club president of District 301-C and the Host as the most outstanding, reasons enough for the members to re-elect him by acclamation to a second term.

With him in the officers’ roster are Mark Jefferson Ng – first vice president, Chito Tee – second vice president, Jingle Melanie Ku-Marquez – third vice president, Avelina Jackie Acoba-Ver – secretary, Charmaine Chan – tail twister, Daisy Chan – treasurer, Jopee Alhambra – lion tamer, with past district Gov. Peter Go, Lilia Farinas and Edith Imayaho as membership directors.

Completing the line-up are two-year directors Jaime Tee, Joanne Ochoco, Jamela Acoba and Ramon Go and one-year directors Daniel Quinones, Nemia Lee, Jocelyn Villanueva-Madriago and Lawrence Umila.