Westport Lions Club

Westport Lions Roar

By Lion Bill Garland

The Westport Lions R & R Centre is a local retail outlet where members of the community can donate home furnishings, appliances, tools, small appliances and decorator items for resale to the public.   The Centre is open from late April to early October from 9 am to 1 pm on Fridays and Saturdays.  The Centre is a beehive of activity with a steady flow of customers dropping off and picking up items.  The metal and electronic recycle bins also generate a great deal of traffic.

The vision for this enterprise was developed by Lion Jim Scala and with the support of his wife Cheryl and a group of dedicated Lions.  The R & R Centre has evolved into a retail outlet with a strong following in the community.  The Centre is operated by 25 volunteers, ½ are Lions members and ½ are community volunteers.  There is strong camaraderie among R & R team members as it is a fun place to work.

The R & R Centre has become a public face for the Westport Lions Club.  Visitors to the Lions Beach can enjoy the sand beach, volleyball courts, picnicking or swimming but may never encounter or talk to Lions members.  Every customer that visits the Lions R & R Centre can meet and converse with Lions members.  A stronger bond has developed between the Club and the community because of the Centre.

 In 2022 we were suffering from a major gypsy moth infestation.  Westport Outdoor Association President Tom Myatt and Lion Bruce Maynard sourced a solution (pheromone lures) to enable property owners to trap these nasty caterpillars.  The R & R Centre was used for distribution of over 6,000 pheromones that helped save local trees.  The Wolfe Lake Association is conducting a public campaign To Get The Lead Out of fishing tackle to protect wildlife such as loons and eagles.  The R & R Centre has become a collection centre for lead fishing tackle as well.  Over 300 pounds of lead has been collected so far.

R & R Centre team members tell us that they constantly hear public expressions of appreciation for the Centre.  The public is pleased to have a place, other than landfill, to take items they no longer need.  The Centre is especially appreciated by seniors, cottagers and young people looking for low-cost items to furnish their homes.  Inventory turns rapidly at the Centre with many customers coming in every week to see what is new.

Lion Jim Scala announced at last Wednesday’s Lions Meeting a change in the Centre’s management for 2024.  Jim and Cheryl will step back after 3 very successful years of operation and Lion Bruce Maynard and volunteer Jeanette Harper will take over.  The Westport Lions Club would like to thank Jim and Cheryl for their vision and leadership over the past 3 years.  The Club is very pleased that management has been passed to the very capable hands of Bruce and Jeanette.

The R & R Centre will remain open for 3 more weeks closing after Thanksgiving weekend, Friday October 6^th and Saturday the 7^th .  The Centre will be offering a massive Blowout Sale that weekend to reduce inventory for winter.  Please drop by to find a bargain!

The Westport Lions would like to thank the community for their support of the R & R Centre.  The revenues from the Centre along with the Club’s lottery fund raisers have enabled the Club to provide significant support to the community.