By David Fleet
dfleet@mihomepaper.com
Goodrich —  Over the last four decades the Goodrich Lions building, 9186 State Road was a volunteer ambulance site, church and clubhouse.
The landmark structure is now for sale.
David Jones, Goodrich Lions member, said the organization will continue, however, the building will no longer be a part of the club.
“The Goodrich Lions are still here to serve the community,” said Jones. “We’ll continue all the activities as in the past from the Duck Derby to Christmas lights in the Village to food baskets at the holidays. We’ll just meet at another location.”
The Goodrich Lions held their first meeting in December 1962 with the 25 needed for their Lions Club Charter. On March 2, 1963 the Goodrich Lions Club established their charter during a ceremony at the high school. Then in 1978 the Lions formed the volunteer ambulance and built the clubhouse on M-15 as a base for the service.
Longtime township resident Emery Bennett served as board chairman of the Goodrich Volunteer Ambulance for 19 years.
“There was a need for a local ambulance after Ortonville Funeral home owner Charly Sherman closed (his ambulance service), “ said Bennett, during an interview with The Citizen in 2013. “We had 67 volunteers on call 24 hours per day, seven days per week. The first month we had 24 runs with the ambulance and provided the community with ambulance service until 1997.
In about 2003, the Pine Grove Baptist Church switched to meeting at the Lions Club.