Lions Santa Claus Parade will be Nov. 22

Lion President David Lowery, left, accepts a plaque of appreciation from Rob Scott representing Friends of the Arena (FOTA). Photo credit: Bob Reddick

Westport Lions Roar

By Lion Bob Reddick

At our general meeting on September 24, Rob Scott presented the Westport Lions with a plaque in recognition of the club’s ongoing financial support given to FOTA. The club members fondly reminisced about the long history of financial support the Lions have given the arena over the years. It is believed that the Lions donated $50,000 towards the original construction of the rink and an additional $50,000, spread over five years in 2001. More recently, the club contributed a sizeable amount of money to renovate the arena’s kitchen. Mr. Scott informed the membership of the impressive renovations this summer to the upstairs of the arena. These improvements included new lighting, a new floor, air conditioning, additional electrical outlets, and comfortable chairs. Lion Marty Hawkins shared that FOTA’s future plans include the construction of an adjacent community centre. The additional $2.8 million required for this project is being sought from the Federal and Provincial governments.

Jeannette Harper reported that the Reuse and Recycle Centre broke a revenue record during September 19 and 20, and the centre continues to be a major source of income for the club.

Marty Hawkins announced another successful fundraiser at The Cove on Sunday, October 21, featuring the band Chicken Pickin. The club appreciates the continuous support of The Cove. Lion Hawkins organized another fundraiser to cater at the ribbon-cutting celebration of Phase 3 at Watercolour Westport. This event took place on Saturday, September 27.

Dave Blair thanked Bill Garland for his work in collecting donated treats to give to the young people on Halloween evening.

It was announced that Lions Marty Hawkins and Dorothy Maynard will co-chair this year’s Santa Claus parade. The parade will be held on Saturday, November 22, starting at 2:00 p.m. This year’s theme will be A Winter Wonderland in Westport. It was noted that the parade was started in 1946 by a local merchant and taken over by the Westport Lions in 1948. There will be more information about the Santa Claus parade in future columns.