CULLMAN – On Saturday, the Cullman Lions Club and Lioness Club put on their annual fundraising fish and ham dinner at Cullman Middle School's cafeteria. Diners could eat onsite or take out; drive-thru service was even available. Lions prepared the dinners, while the Lioness Club brought in more than 150 homemade cakes for dessert.
The Cullman Lions Club has been around for more than 45 years, and has been holding annual dinners for almost the entire time. The Lionesses came along a few years later, and have supported the Lions' causes.
Dinners with choice of fish or ham and dessert were $10 apiece. The total monetary intake may not be known until next week, but ticket-taker Don Smith said this year's event was a busier day than he has seen before.
"Two-thousand meals is our target," he shared. "I think we're a little ahead this year. We normally clear about three quarters of that. Two-thousand meals would be about $20,000; we'll clear about $15,000. Of that, 100 percent goes right back into the community."
The Lions and Lionesses support a number of causes, including scholarships for local students, refurbishing Stiefelmeyer Park, Cullman Caring for Kids, Committee on Church Cooperation and First Source for Women in Hanceville. Lions Club International is best known for its support of vision services, and the local clubs are active in support of Alabama Lions Sight.
Lion Herman Reel remarked, "We got a letter from an old lady the other day, and she thanked us for helping her be able to see again. That's what makes us feel good; that's what it's all about: serving the community and giving back to the community, and making it a better place to live."
Reel, a second-generation Cullman Lion, talked about his experience as a Lion:
"My wife said I needed to find something to do, and I was caught between a rock and a hard place. Her and the president of the club got after me, so I joined the club and I've been in about seven years now. I can see why my father enjoyed it so much. It's just good camaraderie; we have fun, we laugh at each other, we cry with each other and we work together. We really enjoy it."
For more information on the Cullman Lions and Lioness Clubs, visit http://www.cullmanlions.com.
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