The Athol Lions Club recently celebrated its 75th year of service to our community and the nation and world beyond with a delicious dinner and a beautiful program at a Grand Gala celebration at the Williams restaurant in Gardner. There were Lions present with one or two years of experience, many with 10 or 25 years of experience and some with over 50 of experience. There were guests ranging from distinguished members of District 33A, including the District Governor Denise Andrews, to our state Rep. Susannah Whipps, who presented an official citation from the Massachusetts House of Representatives, congratulating and honoring the Athol Lions Club for its 75 years of service. The program was presided over by Athol Lions Club President Kimberly Emond.
I am incredibly proud to be an Athol Lion and have the utmost respect for all that our members do for our community. I took the following words from my address to the club, in my role as select board member. I repeat them here because I hope that it will help to reveal how I feel about this club that gives so much to so many:
My Fellow Lions and Honored Guests,
As both a ten year member of the Athol Lions and a member of the Athol Select board, and on behalf of literally thousands and thousands of Athol residents and families. I bring you my sincere and enthusiastic congratulations on your 75th year of Lionism.
When I look back on my life … there is NOTHING that I am MORE proud of than my association with such an extraordinary organization as the Athol Lions.
This club has given so much to our town, and also to many far beyond our own small community. I am so proud of our work here in the Athol Lions Club and in ALL our clubs in District 33A. Not only for special events like our Athol Lions River Rat Race and our Haunted Hayride or our Classic Car Show, all of which bring both excitement and joy to our community, but also our Service Day and our White Cane Day, our Boot Drive for the Blind, and our support for children to go to the Clara Barton and Joslin camps for children with diabetes.
The Athol Lions also work hand in hand with Our Lions District 33A, which supports 46 Lions Clubs in our area and over 1,400 Lions. I continue to be impressed and proud of the work we undertake and accomplish on behalf of the blind and sight-impaired, through the Mass Lions Eye Research Fund, on behalf of those with diabetes, on behalf of those who are confronting natural disasters or humanitarian crises, our work with accessible and sustainable health care services, our work with youth organizations, with ensuring food security for all families, with supporting education in so many ways! You have all done so much and given so generously to benefit others. You exemplify the motto, “We Serve.”
Your dedication reaches far beyond the borders of Athol, beyond the borders of the North Quabbin or Central Massachusetts area, beyond even our nation’s borders — bringing hope, healing, and opportunity to countless communities both locally and globally. In the truest sense, each of you, by what you do WITH this club and FOR this club — EACH of you continues to make a powerful difference in the lives of others. Every single one of you sitting here tonight, through your hands-on efforts and tireless fundraising, ensure that the world is a better place for those who need it most.
Tonight, we honor your 75 years of service and celebrate the spirit of giving that defines this incredible organization. To the Athol Lions, on behalf of all those you serve with such distinction, I thank you for being the light in the darkness, the voice for the unheard, and the helping hand that uplifts so many. Here’s to you, and to another 75 years, continuing that same legacy of compassion, courage, and community.
Mitchell R. Grosky is a select board member in Athol, and a retired teacher, principal, and former school committee member from Athol. He recently celebrated 10 years as a member of the Athol Lions Club.