Smarsh!

A couple of years back, I was attending a presentation by Lion Tom Smarsh on the 2007 tornado in Greensburg, Kansas. 
Tom had been a part of the Lions ALERT Program that brought emergency aid and comfort to those devastated by the storm. He was, at least for me, bringing to life the Lions slogan “Where There’s a Need… There’s a Lion.”

Tom’s PowerPoint showed pics of the damage, listed the procedures that District Governors and ALERT Coordinators go through to get $10,000 of LCI monies on the scene. The money was for a quick fix of food and emergency supplies for people in dire need. Evenutally, LCI would add another $15,000 while Kansas Lions Clubs raised $90,000 more. 

Toward the end of his training session Tom's wife Anne slipped into the room. From the back row of the room, much like my wife does for our Serving Generations show wrap up, Anne poured compassion and emotion into the end of Tom’s presentation.  

Together they served up a pretty good one-two punch and the message of the ALERT program stuck with me. 

Anne, a member of the renowned Renton Lions Club will be the Grandest Poohbah of them all at our District Convention, March 10^th and 11^th in Walla Walla.  From 2009 to 2011 Anne served as an International Director for Lions International.  Officially her title is PID which is Past International Director. Her LCI Bio lists her many remarkable accomplishments.

At our March District Conference Anne and Tom will reprise their ALERT presentation, host a formal reception on Saturday Afternoon and officially preside at Saturday night’s Chevron Dinner AKA The Purple Polo Poohbah Party. PID Anne Smarsh is a warm, gracious, astute and wonderful Lion. We are fortunate to have her as a part of our MD19 family.