Hear them roar.

The Whitehall Community Lions Club held its 63rd annual Charter Night banquet on Thursday at the South Hills Country Club, an event that marked the Whitehall Lions' founding in May 1949 and celebrated its achievements over the past year. 

During a number of successful fundraisers and important service projects in the past 12 months, the club had provided financial support to nearly 50 community organizations and local, state and national Lions charities. The club also provides ongoing aid for eye exams and glasses for local children and adults in need.

During Thursday's banquet, the club installed four new members and its 2012-13 officers, awarded two scholarships, and recognized three students who participated in a Peace Poster Contest. 

The scholarships were awarded to Baldwin High School graduating seniors Michelle Bruni and Michael Markunas. In keeping with the night's theme a bit, both Bruni and Markunas plan to attend Penn State University in the fall, where they will become Nittany Lions.

The three students recognized for participating in the Lions Club's Peace Poster Contest were Carmen Wilson, a sixth-grader from Brookline Regional Catholic School; Mary Tret John, a fifth-grader from W.R. Paynter Elementary School; and Jessica Maier, a seventh-grader from St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Virgin School.

Special awards were also given to two Whitehall Community Lions. The Lions Club International Foundation Melvin Jones Fellow awards for outstanding service were awarded to past president Steven Hvozdovich and current president Elaine Frombach.

Interested in the Lions? Click here for more information.

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