The OBG Lions Club is helping students start the school year strong with a major donation to the Red for Ed school supply drive, organized by WQBQ 1410 AM in Leesburg.

On August 1, the club delivered a sizable donation of classroom essentials including more than 500 pencils, 700 markers and crayons, and dozens of notebooks, glue sticks and other school supplies. The contribution was made possible through the generosity of community members who attend the club’s weekly bingo nights, along with a $500 matching donation from the club itself.

“This is what it means to serve,” Barbara Crewell, president of the OBG Lions Club, says. “Helping students succeed and showing our support for education is one of the most meaningful ways we can give back to our community.”

Bingo attendees filled donation boxes with supplies and chipped in $30 in cash.

(An entire truck bed full of school supplies will benefit so many local students for this upcoming school year.)

“The people who come to our bingo games each week have some of the biggest hearts you’ll ever meet,” says Judy Kohn, bingo coordinator. “Their support of the Red for Ed campaign shows how much they care about making a difference for the next generation.”

The effort aligns with the mission of Lions Clubs International, the world’s largest service organization, to support education and youth development. The OBG Lions Club, which has served the Lady Lake area since 1987, is active in a range of community initiatives including scholarships, food pantries, veteran services, and vision screenings.

The club expressed gratitude to WQBQ 1410 AM for organizing the supply drive and providing a platform for community involvement.

For more information or to get involved, visit www.obglions.com.