Reese Large who is a local high school student in Santa Barbara wins the 2025 Student Speakers contest sponsored by the Greater Goleta Santa Barbara Lions Club.

There were a total of 3 student speakers contestants who competed for cash prizes and a chance to go on to the next round of competitions.

The 2025 Students Speakers topic was Artificial Intelligence: Friend or Foe and that generated some thoughtful insight and perspective into this new technology that is poised to change our lives.

The purpose of the Lions Club Student Speakers contest is to provide an opportunity for high school students to engage in competitive public speaking on a subject of vital interest. The goal is for students to gain confidence in themselves, become comfortable addressing audiences of various sizes and build skills that facilitate success throughout their educational years and beyond.

Feini Ye, a 7th Grade student at Goleta Valley Junior High, wins the local Peace Poster Contest sponsored by the Greater Goleta Santa Barbara Lions Club.

Ye’s poster was among 47 entries submitted in the annual Lions Peace Poster Contest. Lions Clubs International is sponsoring the program to emphasize the importance of world peace to young people everywhere.

The poster was selected by a vote of the entire club for its originality, artistic merit and portrayal of the contest theme, “Peace Without Limits.” The judging was held on October 15 at the Greater Goleta Santa Barbara Lions Club Meeting which is held at Mulligans Bar and Grill at Santa Barbara Community Golf Course.

Ye’s poster will advance through the district, multiple district and international levels of competition. For winning the local competition, Ye was given $100 and the 2nd Place Runner Up received $50.

The Greater Goleta Santa Barbara Lions Club partnered with Blind Fitness for their Surf Clinic at Santa Claus Beach in Carpinteria. Lion Members were on hand to serve lunch and help with the surf clinic. Blind Fitness works with people who are blind or have low vision providing them opportunities to participate in sports or recreation activities.

The Greater Goleta Santa Barbara Lions Club partnered with Dynamite Pickleball to put on a pickleball tournament at Earl Warren Showgrounds on Monday January 15. There was an Adult Tournament and a Youth Tournament with winners for each group. The event was a great success and fun was had by all the participants.

Kate Warkentin, an 8th Grade student at Goleta Valley Junior High, has taken the first step to become an internationally recognized artist by winning a local competition sponsored by the Greater Goleta Santa Barbara Lions Club.

Warkentin’s poster was among more than 600,000 entries submitted worldwide in the annual Lions International Peace Poster Contest. Lions Clubs International is sponsoring the program to emphasize the importance of world peace to young people everywhere.

“Dream Big Dreams,” the 13 year old from Santa Barbara said. The poster was selected by a vote of the entire club for its originality, artistic merit and portrayal of the contest theme, “Dare to Dream.” The judging was held on October 31 at the Greater Goleta Santa Barbara Lions Club Meeting which is held at Frog Bar and Grill at Glen Annie Golf Club.

Warkentin’s poster will advance through the district, multiple district and international levels of competition. One international grand prize winner and 23 merit award winners will be selected. The grand prize includes a cash award of $5,000 and will be recognized at a special awards ceremony at Lions Day with the United Nations. The 23 merit award winners will each receive a certificate and a cash award of $500.

For winning the local competition, Warkentin was given a $100 Amazon Gift Card and the 2nd Place Runner Up and 3rd Place Runner Up each received respectively a $50 Amazon Gift Card and a $25 Amazon Gift Card.

On September 23, the Greater Goleta Santa Barbara Lions Club participated in the Coastal Cleanup Day, leaving a lasting impact on the local community’s environmental well-being.

The efforts of 1,224 volunteers across 31 sites throughout Santa Barbara County, from Jalama Beach to Rincon and Carpinteria, significantly improved the cleanliness of the community’s beaches and creeks. Participants gathered to engage in cleanup activities in areas prone to pollution and waste accumulation, resulting in the removal of 5,625 pounds of trash and recyclables from local waterways.

The Greater Goleta Santa Barbara Lions Club played a vital role in the Coastal Cleanup, a collaborative effort sponsored by the Chumash Environmental Office. Nine Lions from the club actively participated in the clean up. Their specific site, Goleta Beach, had the largest turnout of volunteers of all sites in Santa Barbara County. The Lions, alongside 126 fellow volunteers, collected an impressive 135 pounds of trash and 19 pounds of recyclables.

Ed Holdren, President of the Greater Goleta Santa Barbara Lions Club says, “We feel grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the community’s environmental initiatives. We are proud to stand alongside fellow community members, demonstrating the success that comes from collective action.”

The Greater Goleta Santa Barbara Lions Club attended the 2023 Senior Expo at Earl Warren Showgrounds. Over 1,000 people attended the event with over 100 Exhibitors.

The Lions Club had a booth at the event promoting the club and attracting new members and displaying our sight and hearing programs for local schools and the community.

Exhibitors include financial services, residential facilities, travel clubs, health care providers, home care services, government agencies, local nonprofits, Caregiver Cafe, and many more.

The Senior Expo is sponsored and organized by Family Service Agency of Santa Barbara.