News You Can Use, from TLC : Vision 2020 & Beyond

Lions, Rivers & Polar Bears...Oh My!

Fri, 21 Feb 2020 14:29:56 +0000

News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Texas Lions Camp, Inc.

(830) 896-896-8500 | news@lionscamp.com

From the Office of the President & CEO

Stephen S. Mabry, CAE

Lions, Rivers & Polar Bears...Oh My!

Kerrville, TX - February 24, 2020. Texas Lions Camp was recently notified that we have been selected by Mo Ranch as the designated beneficiary of the 2021 Polar Bear Challenge. To be considered, charities submitted an application, proof of their charitable status and an essay as to why they should be showcased as the charitable beneficiary of the event. The event will take place at Mo Ranch on January 1, 2021 and will involve Lions, volunteers and the general public who will pay an entry fee and then garner sponsorships to take a plunge down the Mo Ranch 35-foot, 116-foot long water slide into the frigid Guadalupe River.

Previous Polar Bear Plunge beneficiaries include Partners in Ministry, Christian Women’s Job Corps, Star Ranch, Hill Country CARES, Hill Country College Fund, Christian Assistance Ministry, Kid’s Advocacy Place, Habitat for Humanity, K-Star, BCFS Health and Human Services, Kerr County United Way, The Salvation Army of Kerrville, Kerr County Young Life, Texas Hill Country —Big Brothers and Big Sisters of South Texas and West Kerr County Youth Sports.

This year's recipient, Hill Country Youth Ranch, garnered $70,000 in donations/sponsorships and set the bar high. By inviting the public and challenging the Lions of Texas, TLC has the capacity and the goal to take prior year successes and expectations to the next level and exceed six figures.

As you can see, we join a distinguished list of other fantastic charities who have benefited from this event and this is a huge win for TLC as we kick off CAMPaign Vision2020 & Beyond and focus on raising our local, community profile.

(Photo: Courtesy HCYR - 2020)

When asked about the event, Stephen Mabry, president & CEO of TLC had this to say:

"TLC will use funds from the Polar Bear Challenge towards itsnew campaign (Vision2020 & Beyond) in order to provide new and improved facilities for future generations ofTLC campers. Our capital campaign was kicked off on February 8, 2020 whichwill run for 24 – 36 months and be phased to facilitate 3-5 year pledges from our donors.
The emphasis of Phase I of the CAMPaign will be to address the bunkhouses, care-takerdormitory and revitalize aging infrastructure. Specifically, we would like for the Polar BearChallenge to be used for the purposes stated but more specifically to showtraction and support, to provide much needed capital funds, to raise awarenessof TLC and to give the community an opportunity to get to know Texas LionsCamp."

Stephen went on to talk about the importance of TLC's mission to build self-esteem in others, as follows:

"The truth is, one can spend a life time working to achieveand improve self-esteem and may or may not succeed in feeling good aboutthemselves and the things they have accomplished by the end of their lives; however, the greatmultiplier of self-esteem is not found in working to achieve merely for self,but in working to help others achieve and improve how they feel aboutthemselves. That is the magic of TLC, to lend your story to help others valuetheir story. It is the great multiplier of what it means to value yourself andothers."

The Polar Bear Challenge will be open to the general public and will have contests and awards available, such as:

Largest fundraisers (individual and team competitors)
Crowning of the Mo-Ranch Polar Bear King and Queen
Longest slider
Biggest splash
Slider farthest from home
Oldest polar bear and
Best costume

A special shout out to PCC Tom Blase and Lion Ben Gardner who encouraged TLC's application. And of course, thank you to Dick Powell, president and CEO of Presbyterian Mo-Ranch Assembly, Breanna Larsen, Jenna Carpenter, the selection committee and all of the fine folks at Mo Ranch for their tireless work on behalf of so many others.

"The Marketing Department and I will be working to provide tools and promotional materials soon, so keep your eyes out and start thinking about your role as we plan to make a splash for TLC's future," said Stephen. Congratulations TLC!!!

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Stephen isPresident and CEO of Texas Lions Camp, Inc. and recently celebrated 30 years ofservice to this 70 year-old, 501(c)(3) charitable, organization in August of2019. TLC, Inc. has a large Board of Directors consisting of 94 voting membersand over 300 volunteer members that serve on one of 10 standing committees. Asa corporation, TLC has more than 200 full-time and seasonal employees (who areorganized into 7 departments) and over 2,000 volunteers per year that areresponsible for creating an atmosphere of success for more than 1,500 childrenwith physical disabilities per summer. Stephen is a Certified AssociationExecutive with the American Society of Association Executives, a past CertifiedFund-Raising Executive with the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Stephen is afather of three and resides on TLC’s Kerrville campus together with his wifeShawn, who as luck would have it, is a professional editor.

CAMPaign Vision2020 Approved!

Thu, 13 Feb 2020 17:39:03 +0000

News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Texas Lions Camp, Inc.

(830) 896-896-8500 | news@lionscamp.com

From the Office of the President & CEO

Stephen S. Mabry, CAE

TLC Board Approves the Launch of CAMPaign Vision2020 & Beyond!

Kerrville, TX - February 13, 2020.During the February 8, 2020 Semi-Annual Board Breakfast, TLC's Board of Directors heard a report from President & CEO, Stephen Mabry concerning TLC's Master Architectural Plan and Feasibility Study for funding those plans. At the conclusion of that report, Stephen asked the Board to adopt and allow the launch of Phase I of the campaign. After hearing further reports and endorsements from the Camp Improvements Committee, Development Committee and Program Committee, the Board enthusiastically voted to proceed and TLC is now officially operating the Capital Campaign known as Vision2020 & Beyond.

Executive Committee Planning Session (Photo courtesy: PCC Stump Weatherford)

The initial phase will be aimed at providing one of the new bunkhouse quads, Lions Leadership Lodge, activity areas and infrastructure needed to support future operations of camp for kids. As the campaign gets underway, TLC will begin the planning and campaign design processes to ensure fundraising success over the anticipated, campaign life-span of 24-36 months which is the amount of time projected to complete the funding of Phase I.

"I am thrilled to have the Board's approval to move forward with the fundraising and ultimately the construction of new housing to meet the future needs of our campus. These projects are necessary for the health and safety of our kiddos and to take proactive measures to ensure TLC remains a relevant and vibrant service available for future generations of children," said Stephen.

It is always the right time to do something to help others, but according to at least one website focused on the Non-profit sector (The Non-ProfitPro), now is particularly a good time to open a capital campaign. Moreover, TLC has been working towards this moment since 2017 and is primed and ready to get started working on our future. Our feasibility study indicates that we CAN succeed at this and, we MUST! Future generations of children are counting on us.

Why This...Why Now?

Our founders likely had no idea what they had set in motion with their vision for TLC or even IF it would work. Despite the uncertainty of success, Lions dared to dream. As a result, here we are 70 years later having served almost 80,000 children and the model and mission has been pressure-tested and proven successful.

But, as one might expect with the time-frame of TLC, time and elements have taken their toll on the housing offered at TLC, some of which is 60+ years old. Moreover, advances in constructions materials, installations, and utilities have advanced and will permit greater accessibility, safety and technologies for kiddos engaged in TLC programs.

Considerthis: accordingto the Texas Department of State Health Services - Statistics Division, therewere 332,836 children born with a special medical condition in the Stateof Texas between 1999-2016. This figure does not include childrenborn with type-1 or 2 diabetes or those who will experience a trauma, accidentor illness during their childhood that will result in a life-alteringdisability. What we can learn from this data, is that if things stay the sameor even get slightly better, very conservatively speaking, there will beat least a quarter of a million children born every 15 years whowill need the services offered at Texas Lions Camp. This time-factor is alsoconsistent with the TLC target age-range for participants.

Bunkhouses

Our plan for the future includes replacing our existing camper bunkhouses with new, accessible facilities. The below depicted schematic is an architectural depiction of the northern-most, planned quadra-plex. A cozy atmosphere, central, shaded gathering area and plenty of space are just some of the features of the bunkhouses that will take us into the next generation of TLC's service to children.

Lions Leadership Lodge - The Triple-L

The Lions Leadership Lodge is a key component of the Master Plan. Not only will TLC need to demolish and remove its only two staff dormitories (now fully depreciated and in need of repair) to make way for the North Quadra-plex, but we will also remove a duplex known as the "Smith Building" (fully depreciated and in need of repair) as well. Smith Building provides housing to one professional staff member (year-round) and our Summer Food Services Director during the summer. I don't think that I need to go into an in-depth discussion of how important adult supervision is to the successful operation of TLC's mission to provide quality, safe programming and care for children who have special medical conditions, but "The Triple-L" will do just that and much more.

"The Triple-L" will begin each year by providing much needed housing for the nursing/medical staff, leadership staff and support staff needed to provide structure, supervision and care over the children engaged in our regular summer program, spanning 6 sessions and ~750 children who have special medical conditions. Later in the summer, the 75 room facility will switch gears when we open our diabetes program and become the headquarters for the 70+ medical staff members needed to provide care and medical support to manage 440 children who have type-1 diabetes.

But that's not all, "The Triple-L" will also become head-quarters and home to the leadership staff arriving to implement partner-programs that are already running, such as Camp Discovery (for children with cancer), Camp Neuron (Texas Epilepsy Foundation's camp for children who have epilepsy), and Camp David (Texas Burn Survivors' camp for children suffering a traumatic burn) just to name a few who provide services to another ~350+. If you think by this time it has already had a workout, buckle up because we are NOT done yet. This facility will make it possible for TLC to further expand its outreach to NEW partner, mission-based, non-profit organizations similar to those listed above in order to serve a wider audience of children with special needs while supporting TLC's own operations - a win-win-win in most everyone's economy.

When TLC's Summer Camp operation is not in session, "The Triple-L" will also provide new and exciting additional housing for volunteers engaged in TLC's workdays. As many of you are aware, the TLC workdays have become wildly popular and we now regularly run in excess of 600 people per workday at each of our three Spring workdays held on the 1st Saturday of March, April and May. As a result of this observation, I have recently adopted the following saying, which I invite you to likewise adopt:

"Before a single child steps foot, wheelchair, crutch or prosthetic on TLC's soil, almost 2,000 of the 34,500 Lions funding TLC arrived early just to make sure that the gate is open and the facility is ready for them to enjoy!"

I'm still not done. Some of you may be unaware that TLC has expanded its outreach through a three-prong missionthat includes our 1) summer programs, 2) diabetes education and 3) disaster relief, all three of which might result in what is classed as "service-revenue". Over the course of my career, TLC has participated in relief operations involving ice, wild-fires, floods, hurricanes, and sheltering of minors, senior-citizens and 1st responders who were themselves engaged in disaster relief. I would also venture a guess that if you are unaware of this fact, you would definitely be surprised to learn that TLC has provided safe-haven shelter to more than 2,000 individuals in the last 30 years. Such operations have allowed us to expand our service-base while raising both operating support and community awareness.

While I recognize the cost of building is significant, the benefits of the new bunkhouses and "The Triple-L" facility are invaluable. TLC will garner much needed resources to offer while providing service-revenue that will discount the cost of construction over the building's useful, service-life. A win for Texas Lions Camp, the adults and volunteers who pour into the lives of TLC campers and most importantly - the children "We Serve."

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Dripping Springs - Leading the Way

Mon, 10 Feb 2020 14:25:20 +0000

News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Texas Lions Camp, Inc.

(830) 896-896-8500 | news@lionscamp.com

From the Office of the President & CEO

Stephen S. Mabry, CAE

Dripping Springs LC - Leads the Way for CAMPaign Vision2020 & Beyond

Kerrville, TX - February 21, 2020. During the February 2020 Board Breakfast, Stephen S. Mabry, President & CEO of TLC, addressed the Board of Directors and prominently featured the results of the Feasibility Study and architectural plans for TLC's future. Immediately following his report and request that the Board officially take action to open a Capital CAMPaign known as Vision2020 & Beyond, the Dripping Spring Lions Club stepped forward and surprised and delighted all in attendance by presenting a $100,000 pledge to TLC to kick-off the CAMPaign.

According to Dripping Springs Lions Club President, Lion Doug Marsh, "the Dripping Springs Lions Club has been working for sometime to make this gift to TLC a reality as we definitely wanted to be apart of the new CAMPaign in a BIG Way! All of us in Dripping Springs are thrilled to be able to make this Leadership Gift at this time to demonstrate our commitment and belief in the future of TLC."

"The timing, material sum and heart behind this lead gift could not have come at a better time. To have just asked the Board of Directors to open a campaign - and then to have the Lions of Dripping Springs demonstrate immediately their belief in our plans - sets the appropriate tone and pace for the rest of the State to now follow. In the coming months and years, we will each have an opportunity to weigh our own commitment to this effort and decide how to respond to the challenge that lies before us. Whatever that financial commitment might ultimately come to mean, it will be borne from each of us doing our part", said Stephen Mabry.

Stephen went on to add, "My admiration and gratitude goes out to each member of the Dripping Springs Lions Club for their gift and for propelling TLC forward in its quest to prepare to receive future generations of Texas Children. Thousands of Texas Children depend on the services offered through Texas Lions Camp, some of whom have yet to be born."

Pictured: from left to right: Tom Blase (Treasurer of TLC), Sandra Marsh (wife of Doug Marsh), Doug Marsh (President of DPLC),

Sharon Kemp (Member DPLC), Richard Kemp (Member DPLC), Stephen Mabry (President & CEO of TLC),

Wes Car (Vice-Chairman of the Board of TLC). (Photo courtesy, Lion Stump Weatherford)

To learn more about CAMPaign Vision 2020 & Beyond, please subscribe to this blog or visit our Next-Level page at TLC's website.. To learn more about Texas Lions Camp, visit us online at www.texaslionscamp.org or call (830) 896-8500.

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TLC's Case for Support

Sat, 26 Oct 2019 13:15:15 +0000

Texas Lions Camp is blessed with many tremendous resources, but among her greatest treasures, are the people that are involved with our noble project, known by most simply as "TLC". Few organizations have both the quantity and quality of people involved that TLC enjoys, and this is why we have been able to accomplish what would otherwise have been impossible.

Together, we have been speaking a simple message for over 70 years now…a message that has been spoken and heard by over 79,000 children…a simple message that “YOU CAN” and we are here to help you do it. Children have heard this message…and many now speak it in their own voice…I CAN!

TLC has recently approved a Master Plan to further develop TLC’s real estate the thesis of which is “Four Camps, One Campus”. Our effort to implement this plan is the second most audacious act in our history and is among the most important and ambitious tasks we have ever undertaken. Not since our founding, has such a monumental task been suggested. As we embark upon this CAMPaign (known as Vision 2020 and Beyond) to rebuild our campus, I am reminded that we did not arrive where we are as a result of one person’s initiative, but a collective response to a challenge. It is now that same collective response--that is born of each member doing their share--that suggests that our goal can be achieved. Together we can do this…we must do this.

Our Case for Support is simply this…Children should not have to face their challenges in life alone. Our very act of coming together is in fact a declaration to them that they are not alone, and that as a result they can dare to explore their potential, in an environment that is determined to see them succeed.

The magic of Camp is that children often speak our message that “YOU CAN” to each other long before they learn to speak it to themselves. You see this in action at the ropes course when the only reason a child decides to attempt a climb is because a bunk-mate says, “come on…you can do it!” Or at the horse barn, when a horse seems too scary to climb on top of, until other campers are seen doing it. Think a child would enthusiastically run down in front of 500 people to accept an award if the crowd was stone silent instead of yelling YOU CAN? Think again…they believe it because we believe it.

Thank you for joining this noble effort and being willing to give of your time and talents. It is together, and by those that we will invite to join us, that we will succeed, and thus pave the way for the success of children who have even yet to be born.

To be continued...

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