By Amber Ford, The Mountain Times
Continuing on with their yearly Christmas Toy Drive Dinner, The Mt. Hood Lions Club is set to kick off their 28th dinner on Saturday, December 7th. Guests can enjoy happy hour from 6pm-7pm, with dinner served at 7pm. A staple in the Mt. Hood Villages since 1996, the Christmas Toy Drive dinner not only encourages community fellowship during the holiday season, but also benefits those in need this holiday season. “The Christmas dinner is our biggest dinner of the year because of the generosity of the mountain community in recognizing how much this effort helps local families, especially the children, have a more joyous Christmas,” Mt. Hood Lions Club President, Dave Anderson said. “The goal of the dinner is to collect new toys, food and money in support of the Hoodland Community Christmas Basket Program,” Anderson added.
This year guests will enjoy one of the finer dinners The Mt. Hood Lions Club prepares. Mt. Hood Lions Club member and chef, Craig Calvert, will be serving baron of beef, ham, steamed vegetables, potatoes, salad and dinner rolls. With 118 members, The Mt. Hood Lions Club is the largest in the state of Oregon with over 20 members dedicated to volunteering for their Christmas Toy Drive dinner. From the dinner promotion, decorating, food preparation and setup, local Lions Club members go above and beyond for their community and those in need. Families and individuals in need are able to pick up the application for the toy and canned food drive at Hoodland Fire Department, The Liquor Store and Welches Mountain Building Supply.
While the number of community members served from the benefit varies each year, The Mt. Hood Lions Club typically helps more than 75 families and individuals during the holiday season. Community members interested in attending this year’s Christmas Toy Drive Dinner are asked to bring one unwrapped toy and a nonperishable food item (nothing expired, please) as well as purchasing a dinner ticket in advance or at the door. The Mt. Hood Lions Club is known for its continuous dedication and contributions to the residents of The Mt. Hood Villages, but their Christmas dinner tends to be their shining achievement of the year. “Christmas is usually the biggest and best benefit dinner of the year,” Mt. Hood Lions Club member, Mike Casley, said. “We serve anywhere from 100-180 dinners during our Christmas event and knowing it benefits our neighbors is very rewarding,” Casley added.
Presale tickets for The Mt. Hood Lions Club Christmas Toy Drive dinner are available through any Lions Club members, Clackamas County Bank (Welches location), Coffee House 26, Welches Mountain Building Supply and The Whistle Stop Bar & Grill.