Judy Pattinson (left) and Marilyn Lockyer from Quilts of Valour display a quilt that will be given to an ill or injured Canadian Armed Forces member.
Westport Lions Roar
By Lion Bob Reddick
The Westport Lions are known in District A-4 as being a very active and busy club. The month of June was no exception.
On June 6, a group of Lions attended a memorial service at the Legion to commemorate the 70th anniversary of D-Day. It was a very moving and well-executed ceremony. Before the service, veteran and Sergeant-at-Arms Mike Hanna led the group in forming a three-sided Hollow Square in front of the cenotaph to commemorate fallen soldiers. He also shared a touching story about a local championship hockey team where 10 out of 12 members went off to war, but only four returned home. Most people know that thousands of soldiers lost their life during D-Day, but this story brought home how this battle affected our local community and families.
On Saturday, June 8th, a team of Lions were available to answer questions and highlight the club’s three environmental initiatives at EcoFest held in the arena. They are the Reuse and Recycle Centre, which helps to keep items out of the landfill site; the Pitch-In event, which removes litter from area roads; and the club’s Community Gardens, which provides vegetables to the local food bank. Later in the day, the Westport Lions hosted their annual fish fry. The members wish to thank the 233 people for their support and for making this fundraiser a success.
At our general meeting on June 12, Marilyn Lockyer, Region Rep for Quilts of Valour (QOV) gave an informative talk about the local chapter. The purpose of QOV is to provide comfort to ill and injured Canadian Armed Forces members, discharged and present. The local chapter has presented an impressive 805 quilts since 2016 and has already made and presented 76 quilts this year. The Rideau Lakes and Westport chapter is the second-highest producer of quilts in Canada.
This is remarkable ranking considering the size of the local chapter. For more information contact marilyn.lockyer@quiltsofvalour.ca.
The next night, the Westport Lions hosted 157 Lions from 21 different clubs for our annual steak barbeque. This event is only open to Lion members and is a major fundraiser for the club.
You are invited to the Lions’ Beach on July 1 to celebrate Canada’s 157 birthday from noon to 5:00 p.m. Events at the Lions’ Beach will emphasize family-friendly fun. There will be a face painter, a Mountie photo board, beach toys, temporary tattoos, and a hay bale roll. Prizes will be awarded to the “What Makes Canada a Special Place” contest winners. Please refer to an article in last week’s edition of the Review-Mirror, or see the posting on the Lions’ website, westportlions.ca. if you wish to obtain the details of the contest.
Free treats will be available, including freezies and popcorn, as well as hotdogs and drinks generously supplied by Ragu and Raman Sharma of Circle K.
Disc jockey Tom Gard will provide music to create a festive atmosphere along with musicians Evan Carlson and Ron Steeves.
The club recommends that you use the continuous shuttle service between the arena and St Edward’s School because parking at the beach is limited.
Come and celebrate Canada Day with your family and friends at our beautiful beach!
Westport Lions Club 