Lions celebrate belated half-century anniversary

MEMBERS of the Portarlington/Drysdale Lions Club finally got to share a toast to the group’s 50th birthday after pandemic restrictions delayed the celebration.

A half-century of making a difference in the community was marked on Thursday, March 25 – more than three months after the original date of December 7 last year which officially marked 50 years since the club was chartered.

The eagerly awaited celebratory dinner at Portarlington Golf Club was attended by almost 100 past and present club members, representatives of other District Lions Clubs and special guests.

Geelong deputy mayor Trent Sullivan, a Portarlington resident, proposed a special anniversary toast to the Lions Club of Portarlington/Drysdale.

Since its inception, the north Bellarine Lions has taken part in countless projects, donating time and raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for charitable and other worthy causes.

The club’s famous Crayfish Spins alone have raised more than $250,000 since they began in 1973 and the monthly Portarlington Community Market, which the club took over in 2019, is another major contributor to fundraising efforts.

But perhaps its most important and ongoing project is the Portarlington Lions Village, which has provided affordable housing for the aged since its first units were opened in 1983.

Club president Trevor Hirth said it was important to recognise the work of earlier generations of Lions who had set a strong foundation

and a community spirit that remains with the club today.

Anyone interested in becoming a Lion should contact the secretary on 0421 054 842.