By Cecilia Nasmith/Today’s Northumberland
Following three days of hosting the District A3 convention at the Best Western Plus Cobourg Inn and Convention Centre, the Lions Club of Cobourg hosted a 75th birthday party for itself at their Cobourg hall on Elgin Street on Sunday.
An elaborate display had been set up in the Den, with the club’s charter, photos, plaques, documents flags, pins and clippings from newspaper coverage over the years highlighting special achievements and anniversaries (“33 Men Began Lions Club in April, 1950” said one Cobourg Daily Star headline).
Brenda Whitehead, the club’s Tail Twister and emcee for the celebration, declared herself a very proud member of “the world’s largest service organization, aiming for 1.5-million around the world.”
The daughter of Life Member Al Grundy, Whitehead worked in the Lions Centre (which opened in 1977) as a teenager and helped with some of the events.
“You really get a feel for the impact the organization has had,” she said.
A more detailed look at that impact came from four speakers, representing organizations that wanted to extend thanks and congratulations.
Habitat For Humanity Northumberland Chief Executive Officer Cathy Borowec first encountered this side of the Lions when she was overseeing the rehabilitation of former army housing on Alexandria Drive.
“Someone said, ‘Don’t worry about the trim, The Lions Club will come,’” Borowec recalled. And the club did indeed trim more than half of the 29 homes on that street.
When they built a triplex on that street in 2013, the Lions donated $20,000 for its roof. And for their row of seven townhouse homes in Baltimore, which will see families move in next month, they donated another $20,000.
Northumberland United Way Executive Director Alicia Vandine – whose agency is celebrating its 55th year – noted the key role the Lions play not only in donations but in the in-kind support they provide.
Each fall, their Backpacks for Kids program ensures children get what they need for that first day of school, and the Lions offering space at the Lions Centre for the volunteers to assemble those backpacks makes it all go smoother.
And the annual Day of Caring that sends volunteers into the community to do hands-on work – landscaping, renovating and other jobs – for non-profit agencies also owes a debt of gratitude for the use of the Lions Center as a staging area. And just to add to that support, the Lions also cook up a breakfast for the volunteers before they go out to do their work.
“Our relationship has been intertwined since the beginning, and I am very honoured to congratulate you on your 75th,” Vandine said.
“We are so fortunate that you guys are helping us – such a beautiful partnership we have,” Northumberland Fare Share Food Bank Co-ordinator Erin Hunter said.
In addition to collecting non-perishable food donations from members at their meetings and events, Whitehead said, they support the food bank in a more hands-on way – by taking bananas about to get past their best-buy date, turning them into banana bread and returning them to the food bank, for example.
They cater a lot of events, she continued, and they repurpose their leftovers into prepared dishes such as soups, freeze them, and deliver them to the food bank.
As Campaign Director of Ed’s House when it was being built between 2017 and 2020, Lynda Kay recalls that a very generous community raised $10.2-million to build the 10-bed hospice.
“We couldn’t have done it without the Lions Club’s very generous donation of $25,000,” Kay said.
“Today, Ed’s House families and individuals really appreciate the fact that it has been built here and, certainly, the care they have received. It’s not just the individuals on their end-of-life journey but also about supporting the whole family.”
Kay also brought greetings and congratulations from the Rotary Club of Cobourg, of which she is a member.
“Keep on doing what you’re doing, because you serve our community so well.”
Current President Mike Olsen spoke of “countless projects over the years, from assisting individuals in need and being there for community events to larger projects.
“We strive to continue the legacy built by 33 dedicated individuals 75 years ago, to uphold the integrity of those members before us. May the future be as bright and impactful as our past has been,” Olsen said.
Respects were paid by Northumberland-Peterborough South MP Philip Lawrence (who sent a message of congratulations) and MPP David Piccini (who sent a representative with a certificate).
Cobourg Councillor Brian Darling came bearing the town’s certificate and a congratulatory message – then added his own personal congratulations on an organization that, as a Cobourg-born-and-raised member of the community, he has always admired.
Terry Graham, a member of the Newcastle Lions, shared his own memories of the Cobourg club, such as the year member Bill Maguire was elected a Lions International director, watching the set-up for the club’s art show that’s a key part of the annual Waterfront Festival. The club is also a valuable asset to District A3, he noted.
In his role as a Lions International director, he presented three Cobourg Lions with certificates of appreciation – Al Grundy, Des Barry and Kevin Kimmerly.
Grundy took a moment to acknowledge the club’s newest member with a nod toward the bar, where the 19-year-old was volunteering.
“If you are not a Lion, what are you waiting for?” he said.
“We are always looking to grow our membership.”
