The Dryden Lions and Dryden Trillium Lions are very busy this week leading up to a couple of events that they are going to be hosting.
Lions Patty Lyle and Todd Kropelin were guests on the CKDR Morning Show on Wednesday to share the details of the fundraisers.
Lyle said one of the events is coming up this weekend.
“On Saturday, May 23rd, we’re going to be having a community barbecue and bake sale in the Canadian Tire parking lot from 11 until 2. So we’re hoping that everybody will come out and have some lunch and hopefully buy some baking to take home. Trillium Lions and the Vermilion Bay Lions are both actually providing baking for the bake sale. So it’s going to be great fun. Proceeds from that going to the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides. The foundation is a charity organization that provides service dogs. We actually have seven different programs that dogs are in and are specially trained for and Canadians can apply to get these dogs and the dog comes to them at no cost. So it’s always important for us to be fundraising because each dog costs approximately $35,000. That’s a lot of money that we need to be raising every year to be training these dogs and keep the program viable and to be helping the long list of people that are waiting for one of these life changing dogs.”
Patty noted that if you can’t get to the bake sale and barbecue this Saturday you can still make a donation online to support the cause.
“Our walk is registered. The Dryden Trillium and Dryden Lions walk is registered on the walkfordogguides.com site through the Dog Guide Foundation and so we gladly take donations there. We’re also going to be collecting donations at our community barbecue and bake sale.”
Kropelin said the barbecue cost is give what you like, give what you can.
“The burgers and hot dogs that we’re making, we’re just asking for donations for them instead of actual cost for each burger. So any donation that you can make is appreciated to go towards the Pet Valu Dog Guide Walk.”
Lion Patty also acknowledged a business location that is helping.
“We’re very gracious that Canadian Tire has not only offered us a site this year to host this barbecue and bake sale, but they’re also supplying the drinks for us. So that’s a really great donation as well.”
Lion Todd shared more about the upcoming walk.
“Our Walk For Dog Guides is going to be June 7th at the fairgrounds. We have a little route that you can take to walk your dog around and at the same time, we’re going to throw a little bit of a poker derby just for fun. And of course, we’re going to be serving hot dogs and hamburgers there as well again, and just looking for donations again. If you want to participate, easiest thing to do is just show up and give any donation you want, or you can actually go online and join our group. You could get a pledge sheet and go around, ask for pledges, just join in and have some fun.”
Patty added some more information.
“On June 7th, we’re going to be set up there for 10 o’clock and then the walk, people are going to start walking anytime after 10.30. We’re hoping to have a great turnout. There will be a poker derby, so you know, for $5 a hand, you can participate in that. We’ve got some great prizes that we’re going to be giving away to participants and to the winning poker hand. We’d also like to put in a little message about the dog walks that are going to be happening on National Dog Walk Day, which is actually May 31st. Vermilion Bay is going to be having their dog walk at Lions Hall, and Ear Falls is going to be having their dog walk on the same day.”
Final thought from Lion Todd.
“Just to come out and bring your dog, you don’t have a dog, you can still go for the walk with everybody and enjoy and have some fun.”
Many events in Sunset Country would not go ahead without support from area businesses. Lion Patty acknowledges a couple of them.
“This year we’ve been very lucky that Dryden Fibre has once again given us a generous cash donation, and so has Fairstone. We also probably have some other generous donations that we just haven’t gotten back to all of the people that we’ve asked for donations from. We have to go back to them over the next few weeks and see what they’re able to help us with as well. So we’re always grateful for, you know, Dryden and area and all the community support that everybody gives us.”
Lots going on with the Dryden Lions and Dryden Trillium Lions Clubs: a Community Barbecue & Bake Sale in the Canadian Tire parking lot this Saturday from 11 until 2 and the Pet Valu Walk For Dog Guides, not only for Dryden, but also Vermilion Bay and Ear Falls.
Can’t make it to the events? You can donate online here:
https://www.walkfordogguides.com/fundraisers/drydendrydentrilliumlionsclub
