OLSHF Hosts Their 2026 Gala Fundraiser On April 4th At The Portland Art Museum (Photo) - 03/20/26

Annual fundraiser for sight and hearing assistance programs

PORTLAND, April 4, 2026 – The Oregon Lions Sight & Hearing Foundation (OLSHF) will hold its awards and fundraising gala on Saturday, April 4th, 11am, at the Portland Art Museum (Kridel Grand Ballroom). The event boasts a delicious brunch, drinks, a photo booth, music, games, a live auction and paddle raise.

This event will bring together friends, sponsors, and community members to learn more about our programs that screen, treat, save, and restore sight and hearing for those in need across Oregon and Northern California.

We have a limited amount of tickets still available for purchase by Monday, March 23rd.

Visit OLSHF Gala for all information on purchasing tickets, sponsorships or participating in the online auction.

Online bidding for the auction opens March 27, 2026.

 Saturday, April 4, 2026
 11:00 am ~ 2:30 pm
 Portland Art Museum

This year’s event will spotlight Laila, an 18-year-old from Prineville living with aniridia who is legally blind. Through the foundation’s support, Laila received a bioptic telescope and funding for travel to Portland, where she completed a specialized driving course to obtain her learner’s permit. With this new independence, she now has the ability to get herself to college and pursue her goals with greater confidence.

“Stories like Laila’s are why this work matters,” said Kelly Asbra, VP of Programs and Gala Committee Chair. “Access to vision care can truly change the trajectory of a young person’s life.”

She also explained, “Our gala is a wonderful celebration showcasing the work the Oregon Lions Sight & Hearing Foundation does throughout the State of Oregon.  Our guests always get really into our themed event and the support we receive helps us assist more Oregonians in need.  Having fun and making a difference always creates the best experience!  This year even if you cannot attend in person you can support us by checking out the online auction!”

At the Gala, OLSHF, a statewide organization that partners with local Lions Clubs and a network of healthcare professionals to increase access to sight and hearing resources for Oregonians in need, will celebrate and honor our partners who help them further their mission.

About OLSHF: 

Our mission is to screen, treat, save and restore sight and hearing in partnership with Lions Clubs. Our School Vision Screening Program has screened over two million Oregon children since 1994. In 2015, OLSHF launched its own Optical Finishing Lab and we edge over 2,500 new eyeglasses for people who qualify every year. Our boutique Eye Promise Optical shop, LLC, offers a range of stylish and affordable frames; visit our shop at 1010 NW 22nd Avenue at the Legacy Health Systems campus to meet our expert, friendly opticians who will help you find a unique pair of glasses. All proceeds benefit OLSHF’s LEAP program that supplies low cost eyeglasses to people in need. Our ROAR Hearing Assistance Program provides low cost new or refurbished hearing aids to people in need. We also provide the gift of sight to people in developing countries with eyeglasses shipped and distributed through international mission work. Please visit www.OLSHF.org or www.facebook.com/OLSHF to learn more about our program impact. For our current annual report and other program videos, check out our YouTube channel.

About Lions Clubs International:

Lions Clubs International is a service organization with 1.35 million members in 46,000 clubs around the globe. Started in 1917, Lions Clubs aim to provide services to blind and visually impaired individuals, as well as provide other services and humanitarian projects for local communities. For more information about Lions Clubs International, visit www.lionsclubs.org.

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Mid-Columbia Lions Follies Presents: “WHODUNIT” (Photo) - 03/17/26

LOCATION: Hood River Middle School Auditorium
DATES: March 20, 21, 22, 27, 28

The Mid-Columbia Lions Follies cast and crew will be bringing back their fun-filled musical performance on March 20, 21, 27, 28 at 7 pm and the Sunday matinee, March 22 at 2 pm. All performances are at the Hood River Middle School Auditorium located at 1602 May Street in Hood River. Tickets are $15.00 General admission, $12 for Seniors and students and $10 for ages 12 and under. Ages 5 and under are free. Tickets may be purchased at Waucoma Book Store, Key Bank, on-line, and at the door.

“WHODUNIT” is a murder mystery built around artificial intelligence, - AI. It is a story about the Baxter family has just a few hours before word of their patriarch’s death by unusual circumstances reaches the media, Their business is about to explode and their investors may pull funding. Famous detectives from the past are called in to help solve the crime. This sounds serious, but in the Follies way, music, comedy and the flair of the dramatic take place for a fun-filled performance.

The cast consists of local performers. The Baxters are played by Jacob Hollenberry in his stage debut, Sarah Fox and Colton Nussbaum. Amy Maddy plays the nanny. Detectives consist of Jeremy Belcher as Philip Marlowe, Dave Tallman as Adrian Monk, Beth Gatewood (a Follies newcomer) and Sandy Belcher as Jessica Fletcher. The Scooby Doo kids join in the hunt as well – Grant Hinman, Brayden Belcher, Honor Ivy, and Addie Goss. They are all joined by newcomer to Follies, Rebekah McAlister and Izzie Hollenberry, who also is the costumer for the show.

The show was written by the Follies writer, Terri Tyler. Her quick wit and creative thoughts always lead the way to a fun show, and this one is no different. Bev Bridgewater is the Producer/Director, assisted by Amy Maddy as Vocal Director, Gayle Huwe as Properties, and Cindy Biddle as Stage Manager. Using AI as part of the show has been a challenge, which Bridgewater admits she is very limited. Fortunately, Shay Belcher, Sarah Fox and Colton Nussbaum stepped up to make all the music and background happen to create the magic for this AI-themed show.

Hood River Lions, Hood River Eye Opener Lions, and The Dalles Lions are the sponsoring clubs of the show. The Hood River Leos will be offering cookies and water during the performances. “We are so excited every year to present our version of entertainment to an audience.” Bridgewater says. “This year’s show has a mystery to solve, and there is plenty of music, comedy and action. It’s Follies!”

All proceeds go to the Oregon Lions Sight & Hearing Foundation (OLSHF), a statewide nonprofit whose mission is to screen, treat, save, and restore sight and hearing in partnership with Lions Clubs. 100% of donations go directly to sight and hearing programs that help Oregonians in need to access eyeglasses, hearing assistance, treatments, and surgeries. The OLSHF, supported by the local Lions, perform sight screening for over 200,000 students across the State, including Hood River and Wasco county schools. Further, local Lions provide sight grants to local folks in need. The Follies has donated over $435,000 to the OLSHF over the years, making it the highest single donor to the Foundation. For information on local support, contact Trudy Tallman at 541-380-0544.

Tualatin Lions Easter Egg Hunt Returns, April 4, 2026 (Photo) - 03/16/26

The Easter Bunny is ready for his favorite Easter Egg Hunt! It’s the Tualatin Lions Club’s 53rd annual Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 4, 2026 at the big green, beautiful Tualatin Community Park, 8515 SW Tualatin Rd., Tualatin OR.

The Tualatin Lions Club and their Scout Troop 530 Scouts have been busy getting ready for this giant event and the Ester Bunny’s visit. As always, EVERY hunter is a winner! Hunters just need to have fun on the hunt, get an egg or two, or even none, then meet up with the Troop 530 Scouts for a bag of safe Easter candy! There will be “special” eggs in each hunting area to be exchanged for Big prizes! Be sure to come early for photos with the Easter Bunny, who has promised to arrive by Noon.

Hunts will start promptly at 1:00PM with the Toddlers to 2-year-olds in the playground area (the only hunt where parents and grandparents can help). The 3 and 4-year-olds are next in the field between the tennis/pickle-ball courts and the Van Raden Center. Next come the 5 and 6-year olds in deep left field, finishing with the big kids, 7 and 8-years-old in shallow left field. All hunters should bring their own basket/bag/bucket … container for Easter Eggs.

A special feature of the Tualatin Lions Easter Egg Hunt is the hunt for our vision impaired friends. The Lions have beeping Easter eggs for those friends and that hunt starts at 12:50PM just north of the main picnic shelter.

Troop 530 Scouts and Tualatin Lions will be on hand to give directions to hunting areas and to help with photos with the Easter Bunny. The Tualatin Lions will also have their popular popcorn/soda/water sales on hand. Each item is still just $1.

There is NO charge to any hunter or their families. This is the Tualatin Lions Club’s annual fun “give back” to Tualatin children and their families. The Tualatin Lions will gladly accept monetary donations (near the popcorn popper) or donations of non-perishable food items for local food pantries (no glass containers, please).

The Lions and Scouts are all excited to see the regions children and to welcome the Easter Bunny, Saturday, April 4, 2026.

The Tualatin Lions Club welcomes anyone with interest in having fun and serving their community, especially those less fortunate. The Tualatin Lions Can be reached at tualatinlionsclub@gmail.com.

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Sherwood Public Library Is Bridging The Digital Divide For Vision & Hearing-Impaired Patrons - 03/12/26

Sherwood Public Library is taking a tremendous step to help vision and hearing-impaired patrons of all ages to access technology and better utilize the resources of the Sherwood Public Library, a member of the Washington County Cooperative Library Services located at 22560 SW Pine St. Sherwood, Oregon 97140. Sherwood Library Foundation won a notable grant from the Network of the National Library of Medicine, Region 5 and the National Institutes of Health under an agreement with the University of Washington, to equip Sherwood Public Library with three computer workstations with specialized software and accessories for vision and hearing-impaired patrons.

One workstation is a new professional-grade laptop with specialized software to create an accessible workstation for vision and hearing-impaired patrons.

In addition to the laptop, the grant also funds adaptive technology for two existing desktop computers, adaptive mice, large print-high contrast keyboards and a Nero Braille keyboard. As well, specialized JAWS software (a trusted screen reader) will be installed on three workstations. Also installed on all three workstations will be the TypeAbility typing program which interfaces with JAWS and helps visually impaired and one-handed typers use a standard keyboard. All workstations are operating on Windows 11, which includes many accessibility options.

Adrienne Doman Calkins, the manager of the Sherwood Public Library said: “I’m delighted and grateful to be able to add these resources to our library to better serve people with vision and hearing-impairments and increase access to digital tools and services everyone deserves to be able to use.”

Sherwood Public Library, a founding member of Washington County Cooperative Library Services since 1976, offers a locally curated collection of over 51,000 items. In addition to books, the library features a wide range of resources for all library patrons, including children, students, families and older adults.

Derek Sandell, President of the Tualatin Lions Club, which helps underserved people with vision and hearing issues throughout southern Washington County said: “This is a great step towards more independence for the vision and hearing impaired population and is a tool that takes us another stop closer to keep the Lions promise to Helen Keller to be the ‘Knights of the Blind’ in the fight against darkness.”

The Sherwood Library Foundation (SHELF) enriches the resources and services of the Sherwood Public Library by complementing public funding with charitable giving. SHELF Board Member and Project Director, Madeline Robinette said: “It is the mission of the Sherwood Library Foundation to create a more accessible and equitable space for all of our Sherwood citizens, and we are thrilled to bring this technology to the Sherwood Public Library as our inaugural project. Our next project, the ADA accessible meeting pod, is coming soon.”

Donations can be made at sherwoodlibraryfoundation.com, or a check can be mailed to P.O. Box 44, Sherwood, OR 97140.

Brad King, Secretary of the Tualatin Lions, said: “This is a wonderful tool that helps even the field for vision and hearing-impaired people, particularly students who can learn and use this technology to help reach their potential. We hope the Lions and the Sherwood Public Library can work together to bring more technology and services to this population.”

The staff and friends of the Sherwood Public Library look forward to seeing this new technology bridge the digital gap for vision and hearing-impaired clients.

The Sherwood Public Library Hours are:

Sunday - 1:00PM - 5:00PM

Mon-Wed - 10:00AM - 7:00PM

Thurs-Fri - 11:00AM - 6:00PM

Saturday - 10:00AM - 6:00PM

For more information, , please see sherwoodoregon.gov/library, askusSPL@sherwoodoregon.gov or call 503-625-6688. For more information about the Tualatin Lions Club, please email tualatinlions@gmail.com.

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