Sedalia • Missouri

Photo by Randy Kirby

 Pictured above:  Left to right:  Cheri Heeren, Chris Brewer, Don Buller, and Drew Hill.

Photo by Randy Kirby 

Pictured above:  Left to right:  Cheri Heeren, Don Buller, Chris Brewer, and Drew Hill.

Photo by Randy Kirby 

Pictured above:  Left to right: Lion's President Tom Ragan and Cheri Heeren

On Wednesday, February 24, 2009, Don Buller, Chris Brewer, and the Sedalia Lions Club were awarded Blue Ribbon Certificates for their work with a program called the Christmas Shoe Program, which provides shoes to elementary school kids in Sedalia, MO every December.  Lion Don Buller has been in charge of that program for over 10 years. Last year, Lion Don passed the torch to Lion Chris Brewer to take over the program. These two Lions have worked with the local JC Penny to get a discount that allows the Lions Club to purchase shoes for children in need. Lion Don and Lion Chris coordinate with the local elementary schools, who nominate needy children, in need of new shoes for winter, they then coordinate Lions Club members to go and pick up the children at the school, take them to JC Penny and let them pick out a pair of shoes.  Last year, the Sedalia Lions Club put a new pair of shoes on every elementary school child that was in need.  It is through the efforts of individuals, such as these, that aid the Blue Ribbon Vision of making Sedalia a great place to live, to learn, to work, and to visit.