Our Lions Club

“Ordinary People doing extraordinary things”

Over the last 49 years Runaway Bay Lions has raised over a Million Dollars and completed many major projects on the Gold Coast. We have supported the Local Community – including schools, community groups, people with disabilities and local charities. We also help those in need, in Australia and overseas when disaster strikes.

The formation meeting for the Runaway Bay Lions Club was held on the 20th of March 1975. Southport Lions Club was the sponsor for Runaway Bay Lines Club and it was chartered on the 6th of June 1975 with 30 members. Our first project was to man the hamburger stall at the Biggera Waters State School fate followed by Saint Francis Xavier Catholic school fate. The early fundraising efforts were meat and fish tray raffles held at the Runaway Bay Shopping Town on Saturday mornings and were very successful

1976 We started meeting in the new Runaway Bay Hotel and held a family night with the dining room packed to capacity and Ben Crop as the guest speaker.  One of the biggest physical projects of the year was the manning of the hamburger and drink stalls at the Australian Mini Bike Championship held over three days at Labrador. We also participated in Lions Youth of the Year Project for the first time.

1979 We organized a Lions Parade of 30 decorated floats which started in Currumbin and travelled up the Gold Coast Highway to the Runaway Bay Shopping Town.

1980 Club members built 6 Shelters at the Endeavour workshop in Southport.

1982 Runaway Bay Lions was the sponsor for Helensvale Lions Club. We donated a Suzuki Carry Van to the Red Cross Society. We built a bus shelter at the Southport Special School. We held our first Charity Golf Day with all proceeds donated to the National Heart Foundation.

1984 Runaway Bay Lions were responsible for what we believe was Australia's 1st and maybe the world's first “Beer Belly” championship. If the world had ever heard of Runaway Bay Lions, it most certainly did after the event.

1985 In a joint venture with Mudgeeraba Rotary Club we donated a Suzuki Carry Van to Southport Salvation Army.

1986 Runaway Bay Lions joined with a number of other Gold Coast Lions Clubs to investigate the building a home for the aged. The project “The Lions Haven” was approved and opened in 1992 on Hope Island.

1987 We carried out refurbishment to the Coombabah Community Hall including a full repaint. We built a new ride on Lions Train which was used at many venues including the Runaway Bay Shopping Town.

1991 the Lions Park on Jabiru Island  a joint project of Runaway Bay Lions Club and Gold Coast City Council started with the planting of trees. 1992 saw the completion of stage one of the project with the laying of three semitrailer loads of turf.  In 1994 the Shelter Sheds and BBQ’s were officially opened. Then after a lot of planning and hard work the Boardwalk  project was completed in 1997.

1992 We constructed a concrete walkway at the Biggera Waters preschool.   

1994 The Runaway Bay Lions Carols by Candlelight started in the car park of the  Runaway Bay Shopping Centre, it’s now a must attend event for all in the local community at the Kevin Bycroft Fields Runaway Bay.

1997 We completed the Toilet Blocks and the Lions Shed project at the Runaway Bay Lions Park in Biggera Waters

From the early 90’s Runaway Bay Centre has been supporting Runaway Bay Lions. Letting us raise money for Bush Fire, Flood and  Cyclone Appeals, Supported our Christmas Carols, Christmas Gift Wrapping, Lions Cake sales, Raffles at Easter, Mother’s Day & Father’s Day and an annual winter Blanket Appeal for the homeless and at risk kids. Thanks to Runaway Bay Centre we have raised thousands of dollars all of which has been returned to the community.

Early in the 21st Century we started doing BBQ’s at Bunnings Harbour Town and when it closed we moved to the new Bunnings Arundel. Thanks to Bunnings we have raised thousands of dollars from these BBQ’s, Father’s Day Raffles, Disaster Appeals and Lions Cake Sales of which 100% has been donated back to the community.

2014 For many years Runaway Bay Lions and Paradise Point Uniting Church ran the biggest morning tea at Paradise Point and Runaway Bay raising thousands of dollars for the Queensland Cancer Council.

Since 2014 Runaway Bay Lions Club has been supporting a program run by Arundel Park Riding for Disabled by sponsorship for six students initially all from Labrador but as from 2022 three from Labrador State School Special Ed Unit & three from Gainsborough State School

2015 We provided funding to the Gold Coast Hospital Foundation to upgrade the Children’s Outpatient area including providing a seating / family area.

2015 We supplied the Runaway Bay SES with an Emergency Response Trailer, fully fitted out valued at $10,800. With the support of the Australian Lions Foundation

2015 We helped fund a wheelchair accessible Kia Carnival for a local resident 26 year old Anthony who has been unable to walk since birth

2016 We purchased a special stroller with the support of the Australian Lions Foundation to assist 4-year-old Runaway Bay girl, Aria.

2016 We refurbished the Lions Memorial Wall at the Lions Haven with support from the local council and Newhaven Funerals.

2017 We assisted the Shuttle Time Nepal project, a school badminton program which aims to promote peace, health and social inclusion in Nepal and has reached over 500 school teachers across all five regions of Nepal. Runaway Bay Lions Club were thrilled to be able support Nepal youth by donating $3,000 worth of sporting equipment to 7 schools across various regions in Nepal.

2017 Students with visual impairment at Labrador State School can now use Braille in a regular classroom setting and be totally integrated, writing, reading and sharing information in both Braille and print thanks to the provision of a new Mountbatten Braille Whisperer funded by the Runaway Bay Lions Club.

2017 We established and maintained a vegetable and herb garden to provide the residents of the Labrador Bill Hoyer House. Thanks to Bunnings Arundel for donating the modular garden beds.

2018 To help our "AUSSIE FARMER'S" during the drought to we ran a concert featuring some of the Gold Coasts best-known entertainers at Albert Waterways Community Centre Broadbeach. We raised over $21,000 that was donated to the Lions Drought Appeal & distributed to drought affected communities to help farming families in need.

2017 to early 2020 We also have run many Community Variety Shows which were held at various Community Halls each month providing a low cost social activity for the local community. We were supported by City of Gold Coast, 94.1FM and Newhaven Funerals

2022 We joined other Zone 5 Lions Clubs in donating a Braille Sense 6 Notetaker to a local visually impaired young man Kushal.

2023 We raised thousands of dollars to help a “Local Family” with the cost of surgery in America for their 4 year old son Reef, who was suffering from Cerebral Palsy. The surgery was successful and Reef is now running around like a normal 5 year old.

2024 We supported the Variety Queensland the children’s charity. They help Queensland kids who are sick, disadvantaged or living with a disability, to live, laugh and learn.

A brief history of the Runaway Bay Lions Club was written in June 2024 by Secretary/Treasurer Lion Geoff Lauff.