Annual BBQ Celebrates Service to Community
L-R: Bob Anderson, President, and Lion Pete Tsagarakis, proprietor of the Croton Diner. Photo by Steve Giacobello
Our Annual Sunset Barbecue, held July 29 at Senasqua Park, was a heart-felt “thank you” event to the extended Croton community as many of our Lions and supporters come from the surrounding area.
Bob Anderson, President of the Croton Lions Club, addressed the attendees. Here is his message:
I'm often asked, “What do the Croton Lions do?”
The Croton Lions were founded 87 years ago in 1939. They are part of the largest service organization in the world with almost 1.5 million members worldwide with approximately 300,000 in the United States.
The five pillars of the Lions are VISION, HUNGER, DIABETES, CANCER and ENVIRONMENT. We strive to incorporate these in our support activities and donations.
"What have you done lately to support the community?"
Last year we donated over 1,500 pairs of eyeglasses and we are on track to collect the same or more this year thanks to the Croton community.
We started Lions See, a free program to screen children for amblyopia, which undiagnosed can lead to blindness.
We support and donate to the vision camp for the blind and guiding eyes for the blind.
We have volunteered and donated to the Harry Chapin run for Hunger, Caring for the Hungry and Homeless of Peekskill and the Ossining Food Pantry.
We donate to and support Bluepath Service dogs for children with autism. It is a true lifesaver for children and families.
We donated to the childhood diabetes foundation and childhood cancer research for Westchester and New York state.
We volunteered and donated to the Friends of the Old Croton Aqueduct to remove invasive species.
We are supporting an Eagle Scout project to upgrade signage and maps at the arboretum.
We are happy to announce that we gave three $5,000 scholarships this year to deserving students. Since 1939, we have estimated donating over $500,000 in scholarships.
In a joint project with NK Electric we are donating half the cost of a new electronic scoreboard at Dobbs Park.
We donate to Lions International to help with disaster relief such as the L. A. fires and the World Central Kitchen. IN MANY CASES THE LIONS ARE THE FIRST ON SCENE TO PROVIDE AID.
We respect and honor our veterans by donating to the Fox-Eklof, VFW post and the NYS veterans' home.
I am personally most proud of our LOCAL DISASTER RELIEF EFFORT that we implemented two years ago. We were able to provide assistance to the victims of the Bari Manor and Palmer fires immediately. We also worked with the Fuller Center to repair storm damage to a resident's roof as well as aid a legally blind individual to make kitchen repairs.
BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!
We have a medical trailer at Municipal Place where we provide medical equipment AT NO COST to the community. It has been overseen by long-time resident Don Daubney, a 59-year Lion Member. The Lions have provided this service for over 70 years with the new location starting around the year 2000.
We also would not be having this meal without the generosity of another long-time Lion, Pete Tsagarakis, who has donated his time and food to support the community on behalf of the Croton Diner.
How do you do all that?
WITH A GREAT TEAM of Lions that prove WE SERVE our Croton Community.
We also achieve our goals through your support. You can help us by donating money or time even if you're not a Lion. All are welcome and we hope you'll experience the joy of helping others. Contact us at crotonlionsclub@gmail.com or complete the contact form on this web site.
A favorite quote of mine:
Aaron Sorkin, “Don’t ever forget you are a citizen of this world, and there are things you can do to lift the human spirit – things that are easy, things that are free, things that you can do every day like showing Civility, Respect, Kindness, Character.”
We are happy to serve and proud of the work we do and thank you for your support.
