This coming October, the Thurmont Lions Club (TLC) will be celebrating its 87th anniversary of service to the Thurmont community. Lions Clubs International, the parent organization for TLC, is the largest volunteer service organization in the world, with over 1.4 million members and a motto of “We Serve.” There are a number of service programs the Lions International expects individual clubs to support, such as vision conservation and disaster relief. Going beyond these programs, every Lions Club is free to decide how they want to serve at the local level. In the case of TLC, their primary focus, since the beginning, has been the betterment of the local Thurmont community and surrounding area.
One of the requirements that every Lions Club must follow is that one hundred percent of the monies collected from the public must be either used to support service projects or donated directly back to the public. Every year, TLC donates tens of thousands of dollars to support their local community. They support education and youth programs, provide emergency financial relief to individuals, and support community betterment projects like the Thurmont Trolley Trail.
The primary source of community service funds for the TLC is their food sales. This includes their well known periodic sandwich sales, as well as their food tent at both the annual Community Show and Colorfest. In addition, they hold bingo parties and raffles, and sell items such as Christmas ornaments that feature the art work of local artist, Rebecca Pearl. All of these projects, both fundraising and hands-on community service, require a lot of people-power. As a result, they are always looking for new members who want to give back to the community.
If you would like to learn more about the Thurmont Lions Club—and Lionism in general—stop by their information table at the Thurmont and Emmitsburg Community Show on September 9-11, 2016. In addition to learning more about what they do, you will also have the opportunity to purchase tickets for their Barry Richardson art raffle; order your annual Christmas ornament; enter a no-cost raffle for a McCutcheon’s products gift basket; get an ornament disc for the annual Thurmont Community Remembrance Tree; and pick up a world-famous Lions corn broom
