Volunteers, children enjoy Lions Club picnic

Story and photos by Senior Contributing Writer Alice Gerard

About 150 children enjoyed boat rides, karaoke, friendly horses and ponies, a petting zoo, lunch and more at the Lions Club Kids Picnic, held July 15 at the Buffalo Launch Club.

Craig and Marge Walker, both members of the Buffalo Launch Club, were two of the people who took the children out for boat rides. The boat they used for the children’s adventures was loaned to them for the day by Collins Marine. The rides took the children under the south Grand Island bridges and back to the Buffalo Launch Club.

When asked what she enjoyed most about the day’s events, Marge said, “It’s just seeing them so happy and being able to get out on the water and enjoy a fun event. It just makes you feel good about helping them to do that.”

“I think it’s the kids,” Craig said.

The face-painting tent is busy.

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Among the volunteers was a small group of Lions Club members from the Merritton Lions Club in St. Catharines, Ontario.

“We were on the boats, helping the boats,” said Keith Brown, a member of the Merritton Lions Club. He said he enjoyed “the boat ride” and “The kids, the way they were enjoying it. They were laughing and being kids. It’s great to see.”

Matt Aymar, who joined the Merritton Lions Club just a month ago, said, “I liked seeing all the kids smiling and having fun. My brother has a daughter with special needs, and I know how challenging life can be sometimes for kids like this. This gives an opportunity for a community to come together. I see so much strength in that. It warms my heart to see it. Those smiling faces, the kids playing together, riding on the boats, experiencing new things that I didn’t get to experience as a kid, so that’s a beautiful thing.

“The thing that makes me happy is seeing kids in the community being happy with each other and also seeing all the community volunteers. There’s probably as many volunteers as there are kids out here. I love that because that shows me this is a strong community. Communities are only as strong as the people who serve. I’m so heartened by that. It’s a great initiation for me into the work that you’re doing here, and I hope to be here next year.”

Deputy Maryann Landsman, a member of the Mounted Reserve Unit of the Erie County Sheriff's Department, was at the event with her 18-year-old Belgian, Peanut.

Landsman said she was happy “just watching the kids interact with Peanut and making them happy and Peanut happy.”

If Peanut were asked what he liked best about the picnic, it was “that he loves the belly scratches and the grass is good. I think he likes being around people. He likes the company, and I think he likes keeping his brain active, and he likes learning new things.”

She said Peanut’s “favorite treat is cotton candy.”

Lions Club President Richard Crawford said the event “was spectacular, as it always is. We have so much dedication from our volunteers, especially the teachers and the staff, the bus drivers who come here and bring these kids for a day that they would normally never see. We are so happy to be able to provide this experience for them.

“The club has been doing it for over 50 years. It might be closer to 60. The Launch Club has been the host for us all that time, and we’re so grateful for them allowing us to use the facility and all the wonderful things they do for us.”

Crawford also said he liked “seeing the expressions on the kids when they come off the boat and they’re sitting down, having their face painted, when they get up to the karaoke machine and start singing a song. Just their total joy and excitement at being here and experiencing this whole day filled with fun.

“Our thanks go out to all our members, our Merritton Lions Club who comes in and assists us, and the many volunteers from the community who come back year after year after year to assist us. Bob DeGlopper has been cooking hot dogs probably for 30 years. We benefit greatly from our community, by their participation in all our events. We thank the people of Grand Island for their continued support.”