From the iconic Bunnings sausage sizzle to raising much needed funds for those who need it most – the Lions Club of Parramatta is celebrating 65 years of servicing the local community with kindness.
Consisting of volunteers passionate to give back to their community, you might recognise the Lions Club best from the regular sausage sizzles they hold out the front of your local Bunnings Warehouse.
But Club President and member of five years Graham Estreich wants people to know that the Lions Club of Parramatta does “more than just sausages”.
“Some of our bigger projects include the ‘Kids Big Fun Day Out’, in our area there a lot of young people who are both low-socioeconomic but also suffer from disabilities,” Mr Estreich said.
“So every year we put on [the event], which is a magic and circus show at Wenty Leagues Club, we invite children and their families for a bit of relief from the stress they’re going through – I’ve got to tell you, the look on their faces is unbelievable.”
The charity golf day is another recent project that stands out to Mr Estreich.
“We’ve just had a charity golf day – a family approached us some time ago about their son who has multiple sclerosis, he’s now wheelchair-bound but he loves his wheelchair rugby,” he said.
“His family wanted to buy him a van so they could have a wheelchair installed and take him to the various events he participates in.”
The Lions Club of Parramatta presented the Auburn-based family with the $20,500 they raised last Friday, but they won’t stop just there. The club plans to continue fundraising until the family can reach their goal.
Originally created by an American who wanted to give back to the community 75 years ago, the Lions Club has since grown to 1.4 million members and 48,000 clubs located around the world.
With members ranging from 21 to 93-years-old, the Lions Club of Parramatta wants it known that they welcome everyone into the club with welcome arms.
“Anybody can join Lions, we welcome anybody to come participate if they want to give back to the community,” Mr Estreich said.
As for how the Lions Club of Parramatta plans to commemorate 65 years of service? You can expect to spot a billboard in the coming weeks in honour of the milestone.
“We have arranged across James Ruse Drive to have one of those big electronic billboards for a few weeks, which will have ‘congratulations to the Lions Club’ on it,” he said.
To find out more about the Lions Club of Parramatta go to parramattalionsclub.org.au.
Ellie Busby is a news reporter for Western Sydney Publishing Group. A graduate of the University of Hertfordshire and Western Sydney University, she is a journalism Major. Ellie has worked with Universal Media, The Cova Project and for a range of other organisations. In 2024, Ellie was named Young Writer of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.