Flea market, vision screenings and food pantry collections in October
Courtesy photo George Turner tests Abbie Brown, 5, during a Lions vision screening event earlier this year. The South Anne Arundel Lions Club is hosting a flea market service event in October, and is currently taking reservations for spaces.
With the hope of helping local residents earn money and clear out unwanted items, the South Anne Arundel Lions Club is busy planning a fall service event to include a flea market on Oct. 17 in Galesville.
Table sign-ups and space rentals are being accepted, the cost is $10 for those who bring their own tables and $15 for those who would like to rent one. The flea market is from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the two empty lots behind the cemetery on Main Street.
A secondary aspect of the event is to collect nonperishable food items for the South County Assistance Network, a food pantry run out of St. James' Church in Lothian. Instead of asking for parking or entry fees, the Lions are asking for canned goods or a box of food.
The Lions have been around the south county area for over 60 years, while the international organization was chartered over 90 years ago. One of the main goals of the club is working to save eyesight. In the early years, the organization teamed up with Helen Keller to launch an effort to prevent people from going blind. That mission has carried through to the new century with the Lions conducting vision screenings on a regular basis.
They'll have their vision screening equipment at the Galesville event. Alice English, second vice president of the south county chapter, said that the group shares six special cameras with other Lions clubs in the district, which runs from Harford County through Baltimore city and county and down into Anne Arundel.
English said that the screening is mostly done on children, ages 2 to 6. After age 6, a kind of film naturally grows over the retina, preventing the special cameras from finding vision problems. But before age 6, the camera can pick up a variety of vision troubles, including nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism, among others.
The screening is non-invasive, takes just seconds, andthe results are available immediately. If the results are abnormal, referrals to local ophthalmologists are made.
Earlier this year, the group screened children at the May Fair at South River Colony Main Street in Edgewater. Of 52 children screened at that event, seven needed referrals.
English also pointed out that the screenings the Lions' cameras provide are much more conclusive than those provided to students in the public schools. Those tests simply reveal whether or not a student might need glasses. It isn't comprehensive enough to reveal other vision problems, including issues that surgery can easily resolve in a young child.
The group annually goes to preschools in the area to conduct free vision tests. They screen students at Lula G. Scott in Shady Side, Tender Years Child Development in Deale, and Chalk Point Childcare in Churchton, among others.
Aside from vision screenings, the Lions are also a comprehensive community service organization that helps where help is needed. They build ramps for the handicapped at both public buildings, like churches, and at private residences for those in need.
They are currently helping a local man who was injured in an automobile accident. He lost a leg when he was hit by a drunk driver, and the group is building out his garage into a handicapped-accessible living space.
The flea market and service fair will not only provide help to south county residents, but it will also be a fun day for families. They plan on having a moon bounce, face painting, pumpkin painting, and other children's activities along with food and beverages.
For those who don't manage to sell everything at the flea market, the Lions have also arranged for Purple Heart charities to pick up whatever is left at the end of the day.
For more information, or to reserve a table, call 410-867-6026.
Mitchelle Stephenson is a freelance writer living in Edgewater.
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