Carbondale Lions celebrate 100th anniversary

The Carbondale Lions Club celebrated its 100th Birthday with a celebration July 15 at Giant City Lodge.

Some 60 members and their guests attended the event. The club was chartered on July 15, 1921, with 52 members. Judge Loyd Bradley was the founding president; J. E. Etherton was the president through 1922.

Among other things, the club has done many projects for Carbondale over the past 100 years. These include mosquito abatement, building and installing street signs, providing eyeglasses for needy children, collecting used eye glasses for use outside the United States, and placing American flags downtown on four patriotic holidays each year.

The Lions also were responsible for the July 4 fireworks display for more than 40 years, recognizing Students of the Month for the middle and high schools, picking up trash along Route 51 south of Carbondale, adding a wood sealer to the Town Square Pavilion, and making monetary contributions to many local agencies and organizations annually and as special needs arise.

The current president of the club is Amanda Perryman, and the vice president is Brad Hagy. The celebration committee was made up of Anita Hutton, Jan Mandis, Bernie Weithorn, Jim Dooley and Jerre Pfaff. The club's primary fundraiser is the two annual Pancake Days weekends. Due to the COVID pandemic, the past three events were canceled. The next Pancake Days is scheduled for Oct. 2 and 3 at the Town Square Pavilion.