The Dunkirk Fredonia Lions Club recently held its bi-annual White Cane Drive at Wal-Mart and Tops. This year the Lions reached out for a new partnership with the community to help with the club’s fundraising activities.

Joyce H. Smith, coordinator of Volunteer Community Services at SUNY Fredonia was extremely helpful. She reached out to Delta Chi Fraternity asking them to help the club with its fundraising activity. Delta Chi’s Naaman Avad aided with getting 12 young men to help.

These young men represented various home towns from Brooklyn, the Bronx, Schenectady, Amherst and other communities around the state. They were personable, outgoing, responsible and gregarious. While talking with them, one was amazed with their prior commitment to community service both in their home towns and at SUNY Fredonia. Also, they made a commitment to help the Club with its White Cane Drive this September. Even though the White Cane Drive coincided with Fred Fest weekend, five of these young men showed up for two eight o’clock shifts on Friday and Sunday.

Patricia Messina, program coordinator for Upward Bound, got 10 parents and students from various high schools in the community to help. Even the Frewsburg Lions volunteered their help.

With this community effort, the Dunkirk Fredonia Lions Club will be able to continue its efforts to help support various local projects. Some of these projects include the Loan Closet, $500 scholarships to local seniors, Breakfast With Santa; Winter Jackets; Boy and Girl Scouts; vision screenings; eye glasses and hearing aids; smoke detectors; Dunkirk Police Department, Take a Kid Fishing; Literacy Volunteers; Meals on Wheels; Chautauqua Adult Day Care; Willow Mission; Friendship Baptist Church; Willow Mission; Guiding Eye Dogs; Camp Badger, Camp Gross and more.

Anyone interested with becoming a member of the Dunkirk Fredonia Lions Club contact either Lion Tom Panasci at 679-4978 or Lion Virginia Harper at 672-4045.

The Lion’s motto is “We Serve.” Together we will be able to reach out to help more.