Lake Tom Lions to host soup buffet March 1

The Lake Tomahawk Lions Club plans to hold a free dine‑in soup buffet and open house from 3 to 5 p.m. March 1 at the Sloan Center in Lake Tomahawk. According to the press release a monetary donation will be made to the Lake Tomahawk Fire Department. The event is intended to inform the community about the ways the club carries out the Lions motto, “We Serve.”

Vision screening at local nursery and elementary schools is one of the club’s service areas. The release states that more than 1,000 children were screened in 2025, with more than 170 referred for further testing. Over the years, more than 25,000 children have been screened

Chartered in 1967, the club also donates volunteer hours to eyeglass recycling for use in developing countries. According to the release, the Wisconsin Lions Foundation MD27 requested assistance with recycling in 1997. Donated glasses from clubs across the upper Midwest are stored in Rosholt, then transported to the Sloan Center for processing.

The release explains that glasses are washed with help from a local restaurant, then processed by a three‑member Lions team. One member reads the prescription using a Topcon CL‑100 lensometer, another records the prescription on plastic bags, and a third seals and tracks them. Glasses are sorted into single‑vision, bifocal, children’s and reader categories. The club recycles about 11,000 pairs annually, with more than 300,000 processed over the years.

According to the release, the club has also financed the food, training and first year of veterinary care for six leader dogs for the blind.

The release notes that about 40 years ago, the club and American Legion Post 318 funded construction of the concession stand on park board land. The club also paid for initial equipment and has since contributed to restroom construction, lighting at the Snowshoe baseball field and picnic tables.

The club awards a scholarship to every Lake Tomahawk student graduating from high school and continuing their education at a college or trade school, the release states.

Other activities include serving as eye transporters for the Lions Eye Bank of Wisconsin, participating in the highway clean up program and maintaining two miles of Highway 47 four times a year, and sponsoring two blood drives. The release adds that the club donates to Lions Camp in Rosholt, which provides a tailored camping experience for about 1,500 blind, diabetic and cognitively impaired children each year.

The release states that the club also organizes the July 4 parade and hosts a June luncheon.