Santa took time to have a quick photo with Babe and Thunder before Chris Hagan steered them through the streets of Westport followed by a visit with the children at the St. Edward Catholic School parking lot.
Westport Lions Roar
By Lion Bob Reddick
Santa arrived in Westport this past Saturday on a perfect, sunny day. He brings such joy to people young and old.
Although Santa’s visit was small compared to previous years, it still took lots of work from many Lions and community members.
A special thank you to Chris Hagan for volunteering his wagon and team of horses to transport Santa around town, the Westport Fire Station for providing two fire trucks and drivers, Dennis Doyle and Mark Pothier, and Neil Kudrinko for letting the club use his barbeque and donating free hotdogs, buns, and juice boxes. Thank you to Evan Wills for providing Christmas music that added to the festive atmosphere.
To witness the appreciative crowd and see so many smiles made all the work worthwhile.
Toy drive coordinator Jan Gangnon and her helper Lion Kim Kelly were ecstatic with donations of money and toys at Santa’s visit. “The response exceeded our expectations, and now we can accommodate more families,” says Jan.
Families requesting a toy for their child/children from newborn to 12 years old should contact Jan by either calling 613-200-7476 or emailing her at jan.gagnon411@gmail.com. She needs to know the age and sex of the child by December 6, so an appropriate toy can be given.
The pick-up of toys for the Westport and Newboro areas will be at the Westport Lions’ clubhouse, 63 Mountain Road on December 19, from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Lion Dorothy Maynard and volunteers Jeannette Harper and Janet Mulville have been busy preparing the Christmas cakes to give to seniors (65+) on the morning of December 4. We regret to inform seniors that we cannot leave your cake between the doors if you are not home.
The Westport Lions extend their sincere condolences to the Tackaberry family in the recent passing of June Knapp (Tackaberry). The club donated to Maple View Lodge in Athens and the Brockville General Hospital Palliative Care Unit in memory of June.
Lions Clubs International (LCI) requested all Lion clubs donate to Merritt, British Columbia to help them through their recent disaster. The Westport Lions Club passed a motion to comply with this request.
Other recent disbursements include supporting the Elgin Young Peoples Bowling League and the Camp Kirk Foundation.
Camp Kirk is a Lions-operated camp for neurodiverse youth to help them to reach their potential through recreational programs. The camp sits on 110 acres east of the village of Kirkfield, Ontario, northwest of Peterborough. In the past, the Westport Lions Club has sponsored a local young person to this camp and would be happy to do so again.
Westport Lions Club 