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 Lion of the Year Awards

“Lion of the Year" 2011 Majorie Shivel

For more than forty years, a Bonita Springs woman has quietly and purposefully served her community day after day at the Bonita Springs Lions Club.

Until recently she was one of Bonita Springs' unsung hometown heroes.
This month that changed when Marjorie Shivel was recognized with the prestigous, "Lion of the Year" award for 2011.

Bonita Springs Lions Club President Bob Hilliard made the presentation and considers Marjorie Shivel the ideal example of the Lions' motto, " We Serve."
Reliability and kindness summarize the words most used to describe Marge Shivel by the people who know her well.
When asking some of them of their impression of her, each said “Do you have a couple of hours?” One man even said,
“It would take a book to describe all that Marjorie Shivel means to Bonita Springs." Born in Louisville, KY, in 1936,
Marjorie Crowe Shivel’s childhood memories bring a smile to her face as she recalls loving Christian parents whose nurturing home taught her the values of service to others.


Learning to bake as a young girl in her mother’s kitchen, Marge's love of baking continues to bless all of the volunteers at the Lions Club Thrift Store weekly where she has volunteered forty plus hours a week for so many years. Pastor Kevin Bradley who serves as one of the volunteers describes these treats as a highight of his week. His wife Kathy admits Marge's Potato Chip Cookie recipe is a must-have. More than fifty years ago, Marjorie met her husband Ken at Office Equipment Company in New Albany, Indiana where they both worked. Marjorie shyly concedes it was love at first sight. Ken brought his new bride to Bonita Springs for their honeymoon to visit Ken’s grandfather. During their brief visit, she learned why Ken loved Bonita Springs. They promptly moved here where they started their family and raised their children, Belinda Shivel Coles and Keith Shivel, along the idyllic shores of the Imperial River and the Gulf of Mexico. In what was then the tiny tranquil town of Bonita Springs, the Shivels relished the fact that the town usually rolled up its carpet at sunset. As their new hometown grew the couple’s family grew as well in the company of the Bonita Springs Lions. The couple now enjoys the company of two granddaughters, two grandsons and one great-grandson. Impressed with the mission of the Lions Club, Ken soon joined the Bonita chapter charted in 1962. He eventually presided as President in 1969 and eventually served as District Governor. Ever his faithful wife and companion, Marjorie served with Ken for 33 years, as part of the Bonita Springs Lions Club Women’s Auxiliary, and then as a full-fledged Lion when the Auxiliary merged with the Bonita Lions Club. From the beginning in what started as a small donated trailer and later grew to what is now the popular Bonita Lions Thrift store, Lion Marge has served regularly. She recalls how they had to work into the night to sort donated items. She has served in the Thrift store for more than forty years alongside her brother and thrift store manager, Raymond Crowe. In 1972, Marge helped start the Lions Pancake Breakfast washing dishing, serving and "doing whatever had to be done," she said. Forty years later Marge is still seen at the breakfast with her mother-in-law who nevers misses a one. Marge also helped Father Foley of St. Leo's Catholic Chruch and other local pastors and ministers who started with the Lions Lions Club almost 30 years ago. Marge is modest in recalling her years of service which also include being the first women to have served on the Executive Board of Directors of the Florida Lions Camp started in Lake Wales in 1972 and assisting husband Ken with many bluegrass festivals and performances presented by the club. She currently presides on the Board of Directors for the Bonita Springs Lions Club, and also volunteers at the Lions Club dinner meetings twice each month. When asked why Marge became a Lion she quickly responded, “I enjoy doing my part for our community. Ken and I participated in most of the service projects of our club. We also worked in the Chuck Wagon, which used to sell picnic foods during community activities and outings." Marjorie values the Lions' comraderie of service-orientated people and its ability to provide a myriad of ways to serve the needs of the citizens of Bonita Springs, Southwest Florida and their mission worldwide. Through a variety of programs promoting awareness, understanding and acceptance, Bonita Springs Lions Club raises over $250,000 a year, awarding college scholarships, eye surgeries and free eyeglasses at the Bonita Lions Eye Clinic as well as supporting various local charities, and the needs of the mentally and medically impaired worldwide. Marge's favorite memory of her years of service as a Lion centers on the story of a young girl with an eye infection that threatened to end the child’s life. Due to the efforts of the Bonita Springs Lions Club, this child received the medical attention she needed in a Miami hospital. As a student, this same young lady revisited the Lions Club and thanked the members for their care and support during this trying time in her life and how she now looked forward to a promising future. Another highlight of Marjorie’s volunteer career brings a twinkle to her eyes, when she describes attending Lions Club International Conventions around the world. The Shivels usually take their yearly family vacations to these exotic places, and Marjorie savors the memory of all of the new people they have met over the years. In addition to filling the role of supportive wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, homemaker and Lion volunteer, Marjorie is also a committed and focused employee of Dollar General, where she is a respected for the team spirit she shares at the local store. Our city can be proud to count this vivacious and generous lady as one of our own. We sing the praises of Marjorie Shivel for her “Lion of the Year” award and her more than forty years of service. She is one of Bonita Springs' hometown heroes.

Lions and non-Lions everywhere are talking about the newly-debuted Lions rap video "Rockin' the Vest." In the video, real Lions members dance and sing along with an original rap song while they perform community service. Our hope is to make this rap video go viral, to expose as many people as we can to the great work that we do and excite them about serving their communities. Partnered with four new and fun public service announcements, this rap video is designed to have potential members view us in a new way.

 Do you rock the vest?  Watch the Lions "Rockin' the Vest" rap video and help us spread the word by sharing this video with your club members, friends, family and neighbors.

 Thank you for helping our Lions rap go viral.