Westport Lions Club

Mayce Baker, grandson of Lion Don Baker, assists Lion Bill Garland with the $1500 draw while his mum and dad look on. Donna Garland was the lucky winner of the $1500 cash prize.

Westport Lions Roar

By Lion Bob Reddick

Westport resident Donna Garland was the lucky winner of the Lions’ $1500 draw. The draw was held at the Lions’ Beach this weekend during the Canada Day celebrations.

The Westport Lions would like to thank the community for their tremendous support. Thanks are especially owed to Kudrinko’s, Circle K, and Westport Home Hardware for allowing us to use their premises to sell tickets. These locations give us access to the many tourists that visit Westport. This year, our ticket sales were up by seven percent over last year. Profits from the ticket sales go to maintaining the Lions’ Beach property.

From all reports, Westport’s annual Canada Day celebration was a big success. Events sponsored by the Legion, the village and the Lions Club were well attended and enjoyed by all. It was heartwarming to see so many smiling faces at the beach enjoying the sand, water, free hot dogs, bouncy castle and maze. Thankfully, Mother Nature cooperated and the weather played a big role in the success of many of the activities.

To cap off a great day, the fireworks at Rideau Vista were spectacular. Every year, the fireworks display increases in popularity and more people attend. To accommodate the growing crowds and ensure the fireworks continue to be safe for all, the event was held at Rideau Vista Public School for the third year in a row. Rideau Vista’s large and open property means a greater number of people can safely enjoy the fireworks. At the beach, the close proximity of the crowd to the firework launch site and the location of the entrance to the beach (on a curved hill) were creating unsafe conditions for the attendees.

Finally, massive thanks are due to Guy and Cathy Davidson for organizing the fireworks display yet again. They both put in tremendous hard work and dedication every year to make this outstanding display a reality.