By Meg Peters
Review Staff Writer
At 1:30 p.m. on a Friday eve, Mary Rodgers was shocked her team of volunteers had (almost) completely finished packing up Christmas boxes for local seniors.
In years past packing up the Christmas Basket Program goody-bags had lasted into the wee hours of early evening, but the Lions Club have gotten it down to a tee.
‘We’ve learned a lot,? president Bob Erickson said.
‘The kids that brought the food in were so fast and efficient, and then the other athletic teams who help us unload everything also helped us sort it. It was just really cool. It’s gone extremely well.?
This year Lions delivered a basket of holiday goods to about120 families and 96 seniors fit to make any Christmas morning a joyous one.
For more than 50 years, the Lake Orion Lion’s Club have been hosting community events and encouraging fundraisers to raise money for this effort, their annual Christmas Basket Program.
‘You’re telling me you didn’t think you had it pretty good?? one Lion’s member asked.
The funny thing is, while some of the families change from year to year, many of the volunteers are the same.
‘This is my sixth year. Unfortunately my kids couldn’t make it today, or my wife, so I’m here by myself. I paired up with someone to go through [the gym] together because it’s much better as a team doing this,? Brian Gentner said.
‘It’s quite a humbling experience,? his teammate Patti Mann chipped in. Gentner agreed.
Along with around 50 other volunteers, Gentner and Mann pushed a shopping cart through the Community Education Resource Center (C.E.R.C.) building on Friday, Dec. 19.
Each team was assigned a family to shop for. As their Christmas boxes grew fuller, meandering through rows of canned food, winter clothing and toys, so did the anticipation of delivering the baskets the next morning.
For most volunteers, this is the best part.
‘This is like my 15th year doing it,? Heather Osip, a freshman at Eastern Michigan University, said. ‘Saturday is my favorite part, the delivery part, because you get to see the people’s reactions, and some of them are really happy. It just makes you feel good.?
Each family, senior or needy individual gets well over a week’s worth of food, including staple items, fresh fruit, a six pound chicken, bread, stuffing, and healthy snacks. Each family also receives different gift items according to the age of their children.
For Kelin Lee, a recent LOHS graduate, it’s a good excuse to get all of his friends together again for a worthy cause, and volunteering has become a tradition in the making. ‘My favorite part is delivering. That’s always the best part, helping everyone out and seeing their faces., It’s the fun part.?
The Lake Orion schools, and several local churches supplied most of the food for the program, and donated many of the girls? and boys? toys.
What the Lions didn’t graciously receive in donations they purchased themselves. The Oxford Meijer and Lake Orion Kroger gave them a great deal on needed items, about $10,000 worth of fresh chicken and turkey, laundry detergent, and other things that cannot be purchased through government assistance.
The Lions also spent about $2,000 at the local K-Mart on extra toys that bring all the joy.
Without the community purchasing Goodfellow Newspapers and silent auction items at the Lion’s annual auction at Milosch’s Palace, the Christmas Basket Program would not be possible.
Throughout the week the Lions will continue receiving calls for Christmas baskets, and will donate any leftover food back to the Orion/Oxford FISH food pantry and other local churches.
‘It’s just how good it makes you feel that you are indeed giving back to the community,? Erickson said. ‘We don’t recognize people that are in need. I could pass them on the street. I don’t know them, I don’t know if t they’re needy or not, but I know that this stuff is going to people that indeed need help, so hopefully it makes their Christmas a little bit better.?
Like Erickson, Lions Treasurer Mary Rodgers puts her heart into this.
‘I treat my seniors like they are my babies, like they are my children. They are waiting by their door at 9 a.m. for us to get there with their baskets, year after year, and they are still so excited.?