Jason Yu
Our next guest needs no introduction. You could say he is the life of the party. If there is a meet up you can bet that he’ll be there. Whether in a pub or on a bus, you better believe that he’s the one who is starting a song. Always singing loudly and proudly at the top of his lungs is the one and only Jason Yu, member of the Space City Lions in Houston.
Born in Worcester and growing up South of Birmingham in a town called Droitwich, Jason and his family made the move across the pond to Houston, Texas in 1993. He attended the University of Houston and graduated with a degree in Media Production. By day he works as a market analyst for the state and for ATT Sportsnet Southwest which broadcasts the local teams of the Astros and Rockets. By night he exhibits his musical passion through a Beatles cover band called The Molly Jones and a 90s band called The Monicas. He has also be seen breaking out the guitar to play a tune or two during the North American Happy Hour Zoom Calls!
.jpg)
In September, those passions unfortunately needed to take a back seat when Jason became ill and hospitalized with a reaction to medication that was later diagnosed as Stevens-Johnson Syndrome. Jason gave a whole new meaning to being a resilient Villa supporter. Even during those times, Jason would set up an iPad and catch every Villa match! Through the pain and puffy eyes, he continued to follow and show his love for this great club. During his hospital stay, Jason’s sister began a GoFundMe to help assist Jason with these sudden medical expenses. As friends and family do, many came together to help out our brother by greatly surpassing the monetary goal. You can read more about Jason’s journey here. Jason’s strength, determination and positive outlook is second to none. Now home, he continues to recover and focus on his health through running.
Annual North American Meet Up
What is the Annual Meet Up?
The Annual Meet Up is an opportunity for everyone in the North American network to come together to watch a match as is it not possible for everyone to get together on a regular basis. While the event is always in a North American based host city, we often have visitors from around the world join us to connect our community and network even more!
How is the host city chosen?
Each year, Lions Clubs express interest in being the host city through a "bid". The options are then presented to the other Lions Clubs who then have their Chair vote on their behalf. The Lions Club/city with the most votes is declared the host city.
What is the structure of the Meet Up?
The host Club Chair organizes the event along with their Lions Club members. Each Chair organizes the event in their own unique way. The event usually lasts at least 3 days with attendees tailoring their trip to their interests and needs. The Chair may organize events and group outings that are optional for the attendees in addition to securing group accommodation rates.
The typical event often has a Meet and Greet on the first evening at the hosting pub. This is usually when the raffle and auction occurs to raise funds for Acorns Children's Hospice. For more information on this, check out our Acorns page.
Match day is generally on day 2 or 3 of the event (depending on fixture schedule).
The remaining time is up to the attendees!
What are the benefits of attending a Meet Up?
-
Visiting a city or area that you may not have had the opportunity to visit
-
Experience new things
-
Contributing to Acorns fundraising
-
Seeing old friends
-
Making new lifelong friends
-
Growing the North American Lions Club network
Past Host Cities
-
Chicago
-
Thunder Bay
-
San Diego
-
Austin
-
New York City
-
San Francisco
-
Toronto