About Our Lake Chelan Lions Club

In 1935, Lake Chelan Lions Club was founded by two Chelan businessmen, Jim Forney and Dick Warden.

In 2023, 88 years later the Lake Chelan Lions Club has flourished. Now under the direction and guidance of Craig Boothe, our current president, we continue to ensure that the mission of the Lions Club succeeds.

These are some of the things we do here in the Lake Chelan Valley.

·Sight and Hearing screenings and glasses for underserved local children and adults. This year, we have screened over 850 school age children for sight and hearing problems, Kindergarten through 7th grade.

·Our Eyeglass collections and refurbishment Program: This year we have collected over 50 lbs of glasses for refurbishment and distributed all over the world. This is due to the partnership of Walmart and the kind people of the Lake Chelan Valley.

·The White cane Project which provides patient support for major eye care with grants, and hearing aid banks for the hearing impaired.

·Cancer Care of North Central Washington support

·Guide Dogs for the Blind donation for dog food and care and training.

·Camp Stix for diabetic youth – qualifying applicants at no cost to applicants

·Christmas food gift cards for deserving seniors

·St. Patrick's Day Parade sponsorship

·Easter Egg Hunt sponsorship

·FFA support and assistance

·Halloween traffic control to ensure kids are safe downtown

·Technical College and Trade School Scholarships to benefit Chelan and Manson High School seniors

·Echo Valley Ski Hill support

·International Lions Club Peace Poster contest for local grade school kids

·Thrive Lake Chelan support

·Chelan Valley Hope support

·Chelan Senior Center TLC Program

·Holiday American flag installations and the two major flag poles

·Manson Apple Blossom Parade

·Memorial Day Parade

·Veterans Day Parade

·Rodeo Parking

·Litter pick-up along Chelan and Manson highways

To support our activities, we organize and run the following Fundraisers:

·Annual Golf Tournament Fundraiser

·Annual Garage Sale

·Annual Christmas Wreath Sales

·Annual Christmas Tree Sales

·Shamrock Shuffle

History of Raising the Flags in Chelan WA

Hey Everyone!

As we commemorate our national holidays, it's important to take a moment and reflect on the history behind the American flags that adorn Woodin and Emerson Street in Chelan. The tradition began with Ruth Pingrey, a beloved Chelan Elementary school teacher who took it upon herself to decorate Woodin Avenue with US flags during national holidays in the early 1970s.

Ruth discovered a program where US flags were flown over the Capitol building for one day and then made available for sale for projects like hers. Over the years, she collected enough flags to decorate two downtown blocks of Woodin Ave. Ruth did this for many years until it became too challenging for her to continue her own. That's when the Lake Chelan Lions Club stepped in to help her.

Ruth would load up all the flags in the back of her car, and with the Lions Club's assistance, she would drive along Woodin Avenue, putting up and taking down the flags. One of the flags has a brass tag on the pole that commemorates the life of Chelsea Chitty a student of Ruth’s at Morgan Owens Elementary, who passed away in 1996 of cancer at the age of six. Ruth was a stickler for detail, and it was essential to get that flag in the right place.

Eventually, the task of putting up and taking down the flags became too much for Ruth, and in 2000, the Lake Chelan Lions Club took over the responsibility, including storing the flags. They even added enough flags to decorate one block both up and down Emerson St.

Today, the Lions Club of Lake Chelan Valley continues to participate in raising the flags every major US holiday, carrying on Ruth's tradition. This act of patriotism has become a symbol of unity and pride for our town, reminding us of the sacrifices made to protect our freedom and way of life.

It's an honor to be part of this tradition and receive the thanks of the people along the street as the flags are put up. Wearing the Lions Club vests helps the community identify who is responsible for this beautiful display of patriotism.

As we celebrate these holidays, let us take a moment to reflect on the history of this tradition and the values it represents. We must continue to honor and support our veterans and active-duty military personnel, who work tirelessly to keep us safe and free. May the flags on Woodin Avenue continue to wave proudly for generations to come!

Article by The Lake Chelan Lions Club:

Craig Boothe, Keith Carpenter, Chuck Robinson, John Page

About Our Lake Chelan Lions Club

History of Raising the Flags in Chelan WA

LIONS ARE A GLOBAL FORCE