San Marcos Lions Club Donates $20,000 To SMCISD

“In San Marcos CISD, we are very fortunate to have a tremendous amount of support from San Marcos organizations – which allows us to provide a 360-degree education for all students,” Cardona said.

by, Terra Rivers, Managing Editor

The San Marcos Lions Club was founded in 1941 and has served the San Marcos community every year of their 77 years.

In 1970, the club opened the Lions Club Tube Rental and started out renting 20 to 40 tubes a day during the summer months.

Now the Lions Club rents 800 to 850 tubes a day during the tubing season. After paying for their operation expenses, the remainder of the money made from tube rentals goes to helping local charities, nonprofits and individuals in the San Marcos Community.

Every month, the club donates the remainder of their revenue to benefit local children and their families.

This month, the San Marcos Lions Club donated $20,000 to the San Marcos Consolidated School District to offset the cost of outside tests.

“The San Marcos Lion’s Club is consistently serving our community and district in a variety of ways. From monetary donations to strictly just volunteering at events or reading with our students,” said SMCISD Superintendent, Michael Cardona. “In San Marcos CISD, we are very fortunate to have a tremendous amount of support from San Marcos organizations – which allows us to provide a 360-degree education for all students.”

The United States contracts several private companies to develop and administer outside tests, such as the STAAR, SAT, PSAT and ACT.

Andrew Fernandez, SMCISD’s Executive Director of Communications, said the school district is charged per student for standardized tests by those testing companies. The Lions Club’s donation will allow the district to pay for the tests without the money coming out of SMCISD’s annual budget.

The Lions Club serves over 100 charities and individuals in the local community including the following.

“The Lion’s truly live by their mission statement of empowering volunteers to serve their communities, meet humanitarian needs, encourage peace and promote international understanding,” said Cardona.

The meaning of the word Philanthropy is the love of humanity. The conventional, modern definition of Philanthropy is “private initiatives, for the public good, focusing on quality of life.” It combines an original humanistic tradition with a social scientific aspect developed in the 20^th century.

The Lions Club serves over 100 charities, nonprofits and individuals in the local community including the following.

• 11 Annual scholarships benefiting area wide high school seniors
• San Marcos River Foundation
• Greater San Marcos Youth Council
• Hays Caldwell Women’s Shelter
• Crime stoppers
• Hays County Area Food Bank
• Southside Community Center
• Boy Scout Troop 112
• Campfire USA
• Adopt a School Program
• Scheib Community Center
• Hays County Salvation Army
• San Marcos Pony League
• Hays County Law Enforcement Appreciation Day
• Eyeglasses/Eye care Programs
• CFPOY Sports
• State School for the Blind
• San Marcos Summer in the Park
• SummerFest 
• Blood Drives
• San Marcos Parks & Recreation
• Leader Dogs for the Blind
• Brown Santa
• CASA of Central Texas
• Central Texas Life Care
• Green Belts
• Gary Job Corps
• Hays County Livestock Exposition
• San Marcos Youth Soccer
• Sights and Sounds of Christmas
• SMCISD Reading is Fundamental
• TX Lions Camp
• American Heart Association
• South Hays County Emergency Services Dist. #3
• Habitat for Humanity