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Community Involvement

In a truly compassionate community, people work to ensure the safety of neighbors as much as family and themselves in the case of an emergency. Response teams like the fire department and police department will logically provide help during emergency situations when possible, but when professionals become incapacitated, it pays to have trained volunteers that can take charge and save lives. With that line of thinking, Lake Zurich has formed its Citizens Corps.

Since September of 2006, Lake Zurich’s officials like Fire Chief Terry Mastandrea initiated a process to register and develop volunteers to help in case of a disaster that might overwhelm the entirety of professional forces. The state had begun to roll out a program for CERTs,

(Community Emergency Response Teams). Consequently, the state would provide formal training for those willing to participate. “The approach I looked at it was that I’d like to get a citizen corps base before I get into the CERT operational stuff,” said Mastandrea. “I had a lot of interaction with the public and there was a lot of mixed feelings. Some wanted to help out clerically but didn’t want to really become operational, so we decided to put together a citizen corps together and invite all citizens to volunteer in any capacity they want.” Rather than the rigorously structured CERT training, a citizen corps would allow volunteers to train at their own pace and focus strictly on their areas of interest rather than the preset program.

When Mastandrea first put out the call for volunteers, around 87 answered the call and pre-registered for training. The ones who opted to attend could partake in the monthly classes offered by varying groups to provide training like an electricity class to know how to help with downed wires, a course on how to deal with gas leaks and even how to effectively search for a missing person if the need should ever arise. About two years after the creation of the Citizen Corps, around 40 core members of the group remain active, and some have even taken the next step and worked toward CERT training to move into a more operational capacity while retaining membership in the Citizen Corps.

Hence, in a state of emergency, the Lake Zurich area is excellently prepared to deal with the situation. Members of the Citizens Corps, CERTs or both can adequately respond as necessary now that the pre- registering, background checks and training have already commenced. If anything should happen to normal response teams, volunteers will likely be at the ready. “What we’re really doing is preparing them to take care of themselves and their neighbors in case we can’t get to them during an emergency,” said Mastandrea. Due to the collaborative effort championed by people like him, the community has every reason to believe that it is, in fact, prepared, making friends, family and all of Lake Zurich that much safer. Clearly, the compassion and foresight of the Lake Zurich residents has seen to that.

Lake Zurich Lions Club
Lions strive each day to fulfill the Lions International motto, We Serve. The Lake Zurich Lions Club is one of the foremost clubs in the Chicago area and indeed the world. While we actively support the interests of Lions Clubs International, our loyalties are deeply rooted in service to our own community. Our club serves people in Lake Zurich, Kildeer, Hawthorn Woods, Deer Park and North Barrington, but our membership reaches even further drawing people from Palatine, Wauconda, Ingleside, Lake Villa and Barrington as well.

A Two-Fold Mission
Service: We serve people who are in special need of sight and sound related services, in keeping with the Lions International charter. We also serve the more general needs of the community to enhance the lives of our disabled, our disadvantaged and our young.

Fellowship: Our club is open to those who recognize that the strongest fellowships and fondest friendships are those that are forged in an environment of work in service to others.

Endeavors of the Lake Zurich Lions Club
This is a very small list of what the Lake Zurich Lions have done for our community.

• As the largest single contributor to the project, we helped to build Kids Kingdom located in Paulus Park.
• The Lake Zurich Lions were a key player in the High School's football fields having lights.
• We have purchased several reading machines for the Ela Area Library to help local residents with sight impairments to continue reading.
• We support the Leader Dog and Canine Companions for Independence programs.
• We have purchased numerous pairs of eyeglasses and hearing aids for those who could not afford them.
• We have helped to pay for eye surgery for a local resident.
• We give out over $10,000 in scholarships to local area high school students ~ "Dollars For Scholars."
• We sponsor campers each year to attend Camp Lions, an Illinois camp for visually and hearing impaired children and adults.

Events

Alpine Fest began in the summer of 1945, partly in celebration of the victories of World War II. Today the event draws an estimated 9,000 people to the park for the three days of carnival rides, games, food, family events and entertainment. The final day of the event includes a parade down Main Street—the biggest single event of the year.

Children's Candy Cane Hunt is on the first Sunday in December holding a Candy Cane Hunt, no matter the weather, for the children. There are prizes, refreshments and a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus.

Community Food Drive held during the entire month of December, we sponsor a community food drive to help replenish the shelves of the local food pantry.

Holiday Bazaar & Market held the first Saturday in November, the Holiday Bazaar & Market invites crafters/vendors to exhibit their wares. The bazaar makes it possible for our local residents to buy unique and creative holiday items. Proceeds from this event go to support the Lions’ Club Scholarship Fund.

Lions Marina On the north shore of Lake Zurich, along North Old Rand Road, the Lake Zurich Lions Club maintains a small marina. Capable of handling about 50 boats, the marina makes the lake available to village residents and Lions Club members for boating recreation.

Classic Car Show held in the month of August, the Lions Club hosts a car show at Lake Zurich High School. Proceeds sponsor by sending one of three children to Camp Lions each year.