Spaghetti supper helps Lions help community

Shannon CareyFountain City

If you smelled the garlic bread toasting at the Fountain City Lions Club building Thursday and didn’t stop for some dinner, you missed a treat. The Lions, plus friends and family, hosted the annual fundraising spaghetti supper, and the food was as good as the fellowship.

Jeanette Hansard, Edith Edwards and Carolyn Housley eat dessert to wrap up their meal at the Lions Club.

Just how long have the Fountain City Lions held this particular fundraiser? President Roger Byrd looked at Neil Luallen to ask, and both shrugged, “As long as anyone can remember and at least 25 years.”

The Fountain City Lions have two other regular fundraisers: a chili supper and a pancake breakfast. That, plus proceeds from renting their building, help them with various community service projects, the most visible of which is the maintenance of Fountain City Park and Lake. The building just underwent a renovation with new floors and wall treatments in softer colors to attract more weddings and events.

Byrd said he thinks recent publicity about the Lions Club and Fountain City Lake has been good for the club’s efforts. He’s received calls, emails and texts from folks asking how they can help.

Debbie Kahler and Lori Hasley serve dessert at the Fountain City Lions Club spaghetti supper.

“I think the publicity, whether it’s negative or not, has helped,” he said.

Future plans for the Lions Club several updates to Fountain City Park, including a new security system, improvements to the walking trail, and an accessible playground for children with disabilities. Byrd said the playground will probably be the club’s first project after improvements to Fountain City Lake are complete.

“I see a lot of kids that come in here, and they can do very little on the playground, or their parents have to help them do it,” he said. “We want them to be able to have fun themselves.”

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