As summer draws to a close, the members of the Santa Monica Pacific Palisades Lions
Club is busy looking ahead to autumn. We have a full calendar of activities and events
planned for the rest of 2025. Joining us for service projects and social gatherings will be
our two newest members, Patty Namkoong and Stephen McMahon, who were inducted
at our August 6 club meeting.
On August 12, the SMPP Lions took part in the annual PAL Back-to-School event at
Memorial Park. Starting a new school year is always exciting, but this celebration makes
it even more special by helping students prepare for the year ahead. Our club members
handed out 600 Target gift cards along with Lions key rings and stickers. This project is
always a favorite—the enthusiasm of the students is truly contagious.
Looking ahead, our next big event will be the Foundation Fighting Blindness Los
Angeles Vision Walk on Saturday, September 13, from 6:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at
Crescent Bay Park. This national organization is one of the largest funders of retina
research in the U.S., working to develop therapies and treatments for eye diseases
such as macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and retinitis pigmentosa. If you’d
like to walk with us or volunteer to help with set-up, registration, or the crafts area,
please contact Brian at SMPPlionsclub@gmail.com. It’s always a fun day that makes a
real difference for families affected by vision loss.
Because of the Labor Day holiday, our next meeting will be held on the second
Wednesday of the month—September 10 at 6 p.m. at the Santa Monica Elks Lodge.
Our guest speaker will be Micah Akerson, Community Recreation Manager for Santa
Monica. He oversees the design, management, and evaluation of recreation programs
that reflect the city’s needs and new ideas, so it promises to be an interesting
Presentation.
If you’d like to join us at the September 10 meeting, please RSVP by contacting
Kingsley Fife at 310-367-2679 or smpplionsclub@gmail.com. The Elks Lodge is located
at 1040 Pico Blvd., near the corner of 11th Street and Pico, with free parking available in
the lot next to the building.