Lions Charity Classic

Introducing Our Charitable Cause
Calgary Search and Rescue Association
 “To Aid in the Search and Rescue of People in Distress”






Becoming lost can be a terrifying experience for anybody, and considering Calgary’s weather, time is of the essence for; a lost hiker in the wilderness, a child at a City Festival or an older person who has become disoriented on their daily walk. The Volunteers of Calgary Search & Rescue (CALSARA) are on call 24/7 to sacrifice their time & energy to respond to any emergency. They are fully trained Search and Rescue Specialists who come from all walks of life to selflessly assist people in distress.  

Not only do they locate missing individuals; they are often called out by the Calgary Police Service, the RCMP, the Calgary Fire Department, the City of Calgary, the MD of Rockyview, or Alberta Conservation to search for evidence or assist when disaster strikes. CALSARA’s volunteer commitment included 9,000+ hours of evidence searches (at no cost) for the Calgary Police Service in 2008. This works out to a savings of almost $500,000 to the City of Calgary, CPS and the taxpayer. All of that with no Federal, Provincial or Municipal funding, paid 100% by donations to our non profit association.  

Since 1983 CALSARA has provided their expertise not only in Calgary, but also in locations across Southern Alberta such as Brooks, Pine Lake, Sundre, Rocky Mountain House, Red Deer, Airdrie, Cochrane, Bragg Creek, The Crowsnest Pass and Wetaskiwin.  

CALSARA volunteers manned Prevent a Lost Child booths and assisted at numerous community events in 2009 including; The Calgary Stampede Parade, Global Fest International Fireworks competition, The Calgary Folk Festival, Canada Day celebrations, Child Find's Missing Children’s Day, Marda Gras in Marda Loop, and the Kensington "Sun & Salsa" Festival.  

In the education field, CALSARA Volunteers teach public safety programs such as "Back Country Awareness" and "Hug a Tree & Survive" to outdoor enthusiasts of all ages, but particularly to children (at no cost) in schools and to youth groups such as the Boy Scouts and Girl Guides. In addition, each year CALSARA volunteers complete training and participate in workshops to improve their Search & Rescue or Civil Emergency skills.  

At present, CALSARA is equipped with a fully operational Command Post, 3 rescue vehicles, mountain bikes with trailer, a Rhino with Trailer (thanks to last years Lions Club golf Tournament!), rope rescue equipment, a First Aid Emergency shelter, 2-way radios with bases, GPS, and other emergency-related gear that enables CALSARA to immediately respond to any situation.

With your support, CALSARA will be able to improve their services by purchasing a six-wheel drive Rhino and trailer, which will enable them to speed up the evacuation of injured persons to receive medical assistance.  It will also help with the deployment of volunteers to areas that are difficult to access with other vehicles.

The Lions Charity Classic honours the memory

of Citizenship Court Judge Gerry Sinclair

 

An Enduring Tribute

Judge Sinclair was a Lions Club member for over 45 years, and a core value throughout his life was volunteering to make the community a better place in which to live.  In addition to his Lions involvement, Gerry volunteered with Scouts Canada, The National & Provincial Kidney Foundation and many other community charitable organizations.  He was truly a role model for all Calgarians.

 

To date, the Lions Charity Classic has raised over

$345,000 for local charities.  The organizations that have been the beneficiaries of the previous eight Lions Charity Classic proceeds are:

 VoicePrint (3years) – a reading service for the blind & vision impaired

Margaret Chisholm Centre – to assist refugees arriving in Calgary

Camp Carmangay – a counselling program for at risk / addicted youth

Wood’s Homes – for a downtown medical clinic for homeless youth at risk

Wood’s Homes – for their first playground for abused children under 12 years of age

Calgary Search and Rescue Association for a six-wheel drive Rino & trailer