Matt Madden, left, owner of Madden & Company Tree Service, receives a plaque from Marty Hawkins for his generous support of Friends of the Arena. Matt is also a long-time supporter of the Westport Lions Club. His son, Mac Madden, enjoyed meeting Santa Claus and getting a free hotdog.
Westport Lions Roar
By Lion Bob Reddick
For many people, January is the time for reflection, celebrating past accomplishments and setting goals. Over the next two weeks, I will share some of the achievements and highlights of the Westport Lions Club during 2025.
January
John and Mary Camelon from Lanark began the year on a lucky note by winning $1,000, as their calendar number was the first one drawn in 2025. Portland resident, Anders Carson, won a 55-inch smart television in the Lions’ Christmas draw. Second prize winner Ami Carty, enjoyed her dinner for two at Scheuermann Vineyard and Winery and a night at The Bunkie Airbnb on Westport Sand Lake. Bob O’Connell and Sharon Jones, both from Westport, won meat packages from Westport Fine Meats.
One of the five pillars of Lionism is the environment. The Westport Lions Club was pleased to partner with other organizations on two local environmental initiatives. The first initiative was to establish a trailhead to the Rideau Trail at the top of Westport Mountain on County Road 36. The new parking lot is located approximately one kilometre from the Westport Lions Sand Lake Beach on the west side of County Road 36. This project exemplifies what can be achieved when organizations and individuals work together toward a common goal.
The second environmental initiative involved collecting discarded Christmas trees to build underwater fish habitats. The trees are bundled together, tethered to weights, and then dropped overboard from a boat to spots that are believed to need extra fish cover. The thick needle mass and small limbs attract and protect the small fish from predators.
February
For the first time, the Westport and Athens Lion Clubs co-organized a fishing derby for young people under the age of 16 on Feb. 15. The tournament was free, and numerous prizes were given out. As an added bonus, it gave experienced fishers the opportunity to share their knowledge and passion with the next generation and families had an opportunity to be together in the outdoors.
March
Another pillar of Lionism is fighting childhood cancer. Everyone knows of a person who has died from cancer, and many people know of a child who has been affected by it. For these reasons, Lion Kris Henderson Klatt organized the Westport Lions Easter Bunny fundraiser. All profits from the sale of the chocolate bunnies went to the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO).
Lion Harry Beckett was awarded the Melvin Jones Fellowship Award; this award is the highest recognition of Lions Clubs and embodies the humanitarian ideas and purposes of Lionism. Harry is well known for his dedication as the dispatcher and driver for the Medical Mobility Service (MMS), but he can always be counted on to lend a hand to all Lion projects.
April
On April 6, the 23rd annual fundraiser for the Medical Mobility Service (MMS) was held at The Cove. This event is made possible by the support and generosity of Bryan Colford, The Cove, other local businesses, and the community. The MMS made a total of 214 trips in 2025, which is 70 more trips than in 2024. If you do the math — multiply 52 weeks in the year by five days a week — it equals 260 days. Of course, holidays such as Christmas, etc. were not subtracted, but that still works out to 1.2 trips per day.
On April 19, the Westport Lions organized their annual Pitch-In event, where Lions and volunteers picked up 30 bags of garbage along area roads. One of the goals of this endeavour is to encourage people to take responsibility for proper waste disposal.
At our last general meeting in April, the membership passed a motion to donate $17,450 to 20 organizations.
The Reuse and Recycle Centre opened on April 25. In addition to receiving donations and selling recycled items, the Lions collected metal and distributed medical equipment at the centre.
The following Lions received a Milestone Chevron Award in recognition of their years of dedicated service to the community: Lions Terry Bryan, 45 years; Don Baker, 20 years; Bob Reddick, 15 years; and Craig Jackson, Michael Harris, and Harry Beckett for 10 years each.
May
The Westport Community Garden entered its fifth year providing a space where locals can grow healthy food for themselves and the Westport Food Bank.
June
The annual Lions’ fish fry took place on June 7 at the Lions’ Beach, where people enjoyed golden-fried fish in a beautiful setting. The following Thursday, the Lions were back working hard to put on their annual steak barbecue for neighbouring Lions. This is a major fundraiser and requires all hands-on deck. The organizer of this event was Julian Bahmann, who did an outstanding job.
Near the end of the Lion calendar year, the membership voted in long-time active member, Lion David Lowery, as president. Lion Bob Reddick received the Lion of the Year award.
Next week, I will summarize from July to December 2025.
Westport Lions Club 