Club News
Club News
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Congratulations to our 2026 scholarship recipients
Congratulations to our 2026 scholarship recipients
Each yeåar, our club conducts a variety of fundraisers to give back to the community. One of our greatest joys is helping local students achieve their goals by awarding scholarships to graduating high school seniors.
We are proud of your accomplishments and excited to see where your journey takes you next.
Khadija Ndiaye, Monona Grove High School, plans to attend UW Madison or Edgewood College.
Lillyanne Mendenwalt, La Follette High School, plans to attend UW Madison.
Emma Johnson, MG21 Monona Grove Liberal Arts Charter School, plans to attend Madison College.
2025-2026 Club officers installed
2025-2026 Club officers installed
Past District Governor Lion Ron Wright was present for the Installation of Officers at our meeting on Monday, June 2.
Left to right: Debbie McCann, Vice President; Jill Johnson, Tail-Twister; Kim Bonjean, Director; Tricia Gundlach, Director; John Bollig, Treasurer
Seated: Paula Schwabe, Secretary; Julie Baglama, President
2026 Memorial Day parade
2026 Memorial Day parade
Our club had an amazing time at the Monona Memorial Day Parade celebrating and honoring those who have served our country.
A special shout-out to our very own Tricia Gundlach, a retired Army National Guard member! We are proud to have you as part of our club.
Thank you to Tricia and to all veterans and service members for your dedication, sacrifice, and service. We appreciate you today and every day.
May speaker: Mete Ugur from the Alzheimer's Association
May speaker: Mete Ugur from the Alzheimer's Association
Mete Ugur spoke to our club on behalf of the Alzheimer's Association in his role as a Community Educator. Mete gave an informative presentation about the different types of Alzheimer’s disease, how it affects the brain, available treatments, risk factors, the role genetics can play, and ways people may help reduce their risk. He also spoke about advocacy efforts and fundraising to support Alzheimer’s research and education.
Mete holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology and is a prospective medical student at UW Madison. We were especially honored to learn that Mete was also a recipient of one of our scholarship awards when he graduated from La Follette High School. Seeing former scholarship recipients go on to make a difference in their communities is incredibly meaningful to our club.
April speaker, Casey Klock from Sleep in Heavenly Peace
April speaker, Casey Klock from Sleep in Heavenly Peace
Casey Klock, President of the West Madison Chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace, spoke at our April meeting, accompanied by Samantha Cherney.
Sleep in Heavenly Peace is a remarkable organization dedicated to building and delivering twin-size beds to children who do not have a bed of their own, many of whom are currently sleeping on the floor or sharing a bed. Each child receives not only a bed, but also a complete set of brand-new bedding, including a pillow, ensuring a safe and comfortable place to sleep. They support children ages 3–17, and the need is significant; approximately 1,300 children in the area are without beds, with a current waitlist of 300 children and an average wait time of six months. Referrals come through their website, school social workers, the Madison Police Department, and other community partners.
Support from local businesses plays a key role in their mission. Drexel Lumber donates half of the lumber used, and Ashley Furniture provides the mattresses. All materials are brand new to ensure cleanliness and prevent issues such as bedbugs. Beds can be configured as single twins or bunk beds and are built efficiently at various locations often taking just four minutes or less to assemble. Samantha coordinates deliveries, with volunteer teams assembling the beds directly in the children’s homes.
March speaker, Molly Lund from Porchlight
March speaker, Molly Lund from Porchlight
Last week our club had the honor of welcoming Molly Lund, Director of Supportive Services at Porchlight, along with a special guest who shared his powerful story of transformation through their Veterans Transitional Housing Program.
His journey was truly heartwarming and inspiring, and it’s a story none of us will ever forget.
Annual money raffle
Annual money raffle
Thanks to the generous support of our community and the efforts of our volunteers, we raised nearly $5,000 through ticket sales, raffle basket sales, pull tabs, and the 50/50 raffle.
We are pleased to announce that this year’s proceeds will be donated to two outstanding nonprofit organizations, Domestic Abuse Intervention Services (DAIS) and Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin.
DAIS works to empower individuals and families affected by domestic violence and advocates for social change through support, education, and outreach, including crisis intervention services and emergency shelter in Dane County.
Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin exists to end hunger in southwestern Wisconsin by providing access to nutritious food through food acquisition, storage, and distribution, and by partnering with local agencies to meet community needs.
Our top raffle winners this year were:
Alisha Ellis — $1,500
Nancy Schell — $250
We extend our sincere gratitude to everyone who participated and contributed to this event. Your support makes a meaningful difference in our community.
January speaker, Lion Tony Sobczak
January speaker, Lion Tony Sobczak
We were honored to welcome Tony Sobczak, our 2026–27 District Governor, as our speaker this month. Tony was joined by his wife, Vicki, and shared his theme for the 26-27 Lions year, which is “Here We Go.”
Thank you, Tony and Vicki, for a great evening of inspiration and Lions fellowship!
Gifts delivered to Badger Childhood Cancer Network.
Gifts delivered to Badger Childhood Cancer Network.
Club members Julie Baglama and Debbie McCann delivered gifts on behalf of the Madison Monona Lions Club to a sweet 10-year-old girl named Charley and her family as they navigate her cancer journey.
New members installed
New members installed
Meet the newest members of the Madison Monona Lions Club, proudly installed by Associate Member Phil Ingwell.
Left to right: Joan Cepelle, Chris Ellis, Tamara Ellis & Charlette Stremcha.
Welcome!!! We are happy you joined our club.
November speaker, Miss Wisconsin Teen Natalie Popp
November speaker, Miss Wisconsin Teen Natalie Popp
We had the pleasure of welcoming Miss Wisconsin Teen Natalie Popp as our monthly speaker.
Natalie is a senior at Lakeside Lutheran High School from Fitchburg. She was crowned Miss Wisconsin’s Teen 2025 in June 2025, chosen from a field of 24 contestants. As Teen titleholder, she will represent Wisconsin in the national Miss America’s Teen 2026 competition.
She has been performing (singing and dancing) for over 14 years. At the Miss Wisconsin’s Teen talent portion, she performed “Journey to the Past” from the musical Anastasia.
Her initiative is called “Never Forgotten – Remembering Our Heroes” (also referenced as “Teens for Heroes”). It focuses on thanking veterans and active military, but more deeply, listening to their stories and honoring their service.
Notably, she partnered with a 100-year-old WWII veteran, Lew Harned, whom she met while volunteering. She wrote and published a children’s book titled Lew for the Red, White and Blue that tells his life story and educates young readers about veterans.
Food delivered to St. Stephen's Church
Food delivered to St. Stephen's Church
A big shoutout to Tammy & Chris Ellis, two of our newest Lions, for organizing an amazing supply drive for St. Stephen's Church in Monona!
Thanks to everyone who donated and helped make it such a success — what an incredible way to show the power of community and service!
Bench donated to Monona Parks and Recreation
Bench donated to Monona Parks and Recreation
Thanks to the dedicated efforts of our members and community, we collected an incredible 1,499 pounds of plastic — material that would have otherwise ended up in a landfill.
As a result of reaching the 1,000-pound milestone, we earned a beautiful, recycled plastic bench through the Nex-Trex recycling program. This durable, eco-friendly bench serves as a symbol of our community's commitment to sustainability and will be enjoyed by residents year-round. The bench will be placed at Grand Crossing Park near the ice rink during the winter and moved to the Monona Pool in the summer for all to enjoy.
Pictured from left to right: Richard Bernstein, Monona Alder, Jacob Anderson, Monona Parks and Recreation Director, Tricia Gundlach, Lion Volunteer, Sue Gundlach, Lion Volunteer, and Deb McCann, Lion Volunteer
October speaker, Brian McKay from Breakthrough T1D
October speaker, Brian McKay from Breakthrough T1D
Lions Clubs International is deeply involved in diabetes awareness and prevention as part of its global causes.
Our October speaker was Brian McKay from Breakthrough T1D, an international nonprofit focused on type 1 diabetes (T1D): funding research, supporting people with T1D, and advocating for policy / better access to treatments.
It used to be called JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) but rebranded to Breakthrough T1D in June 2024 to better reflect that T1D affects all ages and to emphasize breakthroughs in research & care.
It operates globally with many affiliates (US, UK, Australia, etc.) and a broad mission: curing, preventing, and treating T1D, and improving quality of life in the meantime.
Volunteering at the NAMI walk
Volunteering at the NAMI walk
A few of us volunteered at the NAMI walk this year.
Christmas in July
Christmas in July
Our club took some shifts at Metro Market ringing bells for the Salvation Army. We had a great time teaching our grandkids about serving their community.
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