Support remains strong for the Lions Club of Emporia and its annual biscuits and gravy fundraiser, as was evident by the turnout of hungry residents in the dining room and several new faces in the kitchen Saturday.
This year’s breakfast, the group’s main annual fundraiser, was a record setting occassion with over 770 advanced and sponsor tickets sold before a single plate was served. For perspective, the presale numbers alone nearly doubled the total number of ticket sales from last year.
Club President Mike Petijean tells KVOE News support has never been stronger for the club, something he attributes to a recent influx of new members following a major push in recruitment over the last two months.
In total, the club has added 12 new members over the last year, with many of them on hand joining the army of cooks in the kitchen. Among them was Whitney Johnson, who has been with Lions for the past six weeks.
She tells KVOE News it has been exciting to get a first-hand look at just how significant an impact the club has on the community.
Joining Johnson was new member Sarah Barrett, who says being a Lion is a “fun way to step out of your everyday to serve the community.”
As always, Saturday’s menu featured all you can eat biscuits and gravy, sausage, fresh fruit, coffee and juice, and as always, the community came hungry with members telling KVOE News they were beginning to run low on supplies just 90 minutes into the breakfast. All proceeds from the breakfast will go to support the club’s various projects and programs in the community, which Petijean laid out in an interview with KVOE Saturday.
The Lions Club’s Cleve Cook Fund also provides grants for a range of community improvement projects every year.
Click here for a YouTube Short from Saturday’s breakfast fundraiser
