This year was all about big numbers

As the Chester Lions Club prepares to install our new officers later this month, I'd like to take this opportunity to recap what the club has accomplished under the direction of Lion President Bernie Anger of Chester, NJ. During Lion Anger’s term the Club has had a fantastic year, raising a substantial amount of money through various fundraising efforts and giving back to our local and world communities in a variety of ways.

Our 13th Annual Oktoberfest was a huge success with over 5,000 guests from all over the tri-state area, making it one of the most successful Oktoberfests we’ve had to date. Over the course of the weekend we were able to combine family fun, community involvement and some serious charitable fundraising. Special thanks go out to all of our sponsors and suppliers who helped make it possible, and to the community for their support.  We’d also like to take a moment to once again thank our volunteers. Over 150 volunteers were involved from civic-minded individuals to the service clubs at West Morris Central High School and West Morris Mendham High School.  Chester’s 50-plus Club participated as well as the very active Chester Lionesses.  It was very heartening to see the enthusiasm exhibited by the volunteers.  Everyone helped the Lions in their quest to fulfill their motto “We Serve.” Proceeds from the event enable us to donate to many organizations throughout the year, including  supporting the local First Aid Squads and Volunteer Fire Departments, various local churches, the Food Pantry, special school projects, local Boy and Girl Scout troops, war veterans, sight related projects and organization, and providing scholarships to students in our community. In past years, proceeds have also gone towards providing donations to organizations like  Project Hope, NJ Lions Eye Bank, Morristown Memorial Hospital, Morristown Soup Kitchen, Battered Women, Soldiers Angel, New Jersey Operation Cares, and aid to various hurricane and tornado disaster victims. As a reminder, the Chester Lions Club is a 501C-3 not-for-profit organization, and all donations are fully tax-deductible. If you would like to get involved with this year’s Oktoberfest (September 29 & 30) as a sponsor or volunteer, please do not hesitate to send us an email at chesterlionsclub@gmail.com.

In December we hosted our Lunch with Santa at the Chester Fire House. The event is a free event for children under the age of 10 in the Chester, Mendham, and Long Valley communities. Over 120 youngsters joined us for a hot dog lunch, entertainment by magician, Artie Miller, and a visit from Saint Nick, maxing out our capacity limit! The event was a great success and we look forward to doing it again this coming December.

This spring we also had a fantastic number of applications come in for our scholarship program. We are pleased to announce that we have selected 20 high school seniors between West Morris Mendham and West Morris Central high schools as recipients of $1000 scholarships. We wish them, and all of our graduating seniors, the best of luck as they begin their new path towards the future.

This year has also been a record breaking year with respect to club membership. Since July 2011, the Chester Lions Club has welcomed ten new members into the club. These new members are a fantastic bunch of men and women, who have already proven themselves to be active, involved, civic-minded individuals. We are proud to say that they have jumped in feet first, as many of them have already volunteered to spearhead new initiatives and events. So keep a lookout for new events and initiatives this year, like our booth at the Denville Street Fair on Sunday, June 3rd, where we will offer a taste (literally!) of what is to come at this year’s Oktoberfest. We would also like to mention that we encourage new membership always, so if you would like information on how to become a part of this thriving organization, please email us at chesterlionsclub@gmail.com.

On June 28th, President Bernie Anger will step down and Lion Andrew Balysky, of Chester, NJ will pick up the reigns and we look forward to 2012-2013 being even more successful! There are a lot of new things in store for the community, including some new events, and we cannot wait to share with you all that the Chester Lions Club has to offer.

Thanks again for sharing our vision of helping others to see. And as always, please check us out at www.chesterlionsclub.com or visit us at our facebook page www.facebook.com/chesterlionsclubnj for more information about our events, membership, and how to get involved!