Lions Club members from all over Minnesota gathered in Bemidji on Saturday for the inaugural D-Feet Hearing Loss Walk. During this event, people of all ages worked to do what Lions do best: serve.

Lions Clubs of Minnesota are constantly working to serve their communities one step at a time. A fundraiser that helps members of all ages is the D-Feet Hearing Loss Walk, and this was the first year that it was held up north.

“Having [the walk] here is Bemidji is really important,” said Mayor Jorge Prince, who attended and spoke at the event on Saturday.

The Minnesota Lions Hearing Foundation and the University of Minnesota help young and old with hearing-related issues. Whether it’s to assist with the cost of hearing aids or working on a study for tinnitus (ringing in the ears), Lions have raised over $7 million to defeat hearing loss.

The walk went right along the shorelines of Lake Bemidji, to Paul and Babe and back. It was also held in conjunction with the other walk at the Arboretum in the Twin Cities. Lions from all over Minnesota and even other states, such as Wisconsin, joined in order to help the hearing foundation.

“We have a huge group of researchers..down at the University of Minnesota,” states Kathryn Smith, a Bemidji Lion and Lions Club Governor-Elect for District 5M10. “It’s just an amazing resource.”

The Hearing Foundation’s D-Feet Walk in Bemidji had 133 people attend. Between donations from the Bemidji area and the walk on Saturday, the Lions Club raised just over $6,000.

More information about the Minnesota Lions Hearing Foundation can be found on their website.

By — Mary Balstad