Frankfort Lions Club Celebrates 70 Years of Service

Is it traditional to give a Lion platinum on its 70th anniversary? 

“We’re excited that Frankfort Lions Club is celebrating 70 years of service,” said Margaret Farina, manager of government relations and partnerships for Lions Clubs International but also a new Frankfort Lion herself.

“They are a landmark in the community,” she added.

The local chapter of this international service organization celebrated its 70th anniversary on Feb. 7, with a dinner at . According to past President Rod Campbell, the Lions chartered their club in February 1941, and Albert Krusemark Jr. served as president. Krusemark, who is wintering in Florida and was unable to attend the dinner, has the honor of being the club’s longest member.

Campbell said he visited with Krusemark before he left town, and they talked about the early days of the club. One of the questions Campbell asked was about fundraising, curious how his predecessors handled that issue.

“Mr. Krusemark said to me, ‘We did it like you do it. We kind of stood on the street corner and shook cans, or we passed the hat and everybody put in five dollars,’” Campbell said.

Campbell noted that over the years the Lions have done a number of different fundraising activities, from selling cast iron skillets in 1963 to the Turtle Derby of the '60s and '70s (where prizes included a bicycle, a transistor radio and a stuffed lion) to the annual Lions Candy Day (think Lions Lifesavers) that started in 1963 and returns each October.

However, in Frankfort, perhaps the most notable Lions fundraiser is the annual sweepstakes raffle held the Thursday night before Fall Fest officially opens. The Frankfort Lions hosted the original Sauerkraut and Wiener Day in 1963, which later evolved into Sauerkraut Days and then Frankfort Fall Festival. The Lions Club raffle, though, remained a key fundraising feature of that community event, with a car as the grand prize. Now $10,000 cash is the big award.

With the proceeds, the Lions are able to support numerous charitable projects that focus on youth, the visually impaired and diabetes research, care and prevention. They also provide assistance for local residents in need, such as acquiring a ramp for an elderly woman who was housebound or a laptop for a blind student at .

“What I really enjoy is serving the people of the community," said club secretary "Lion Joe" Rohaly. "That’s why I’m in this. The biggest local event we work on is the food drive.” 

“I also have a pet project, the ," he added. "That’s something that is promoted by Lions International, but it’s up to the individual clubs to take on. Last year we did it in conjunction with Lincoln-Way East High School, and I can’t say enough good things about their cooperation and participation."

The 2010 STRIDES walk raised $2,500, which the Frankfort Lions then distributed into diabetes research and prevention programs of their choosing.

Maybe what keeps the Frankfort Lions going strong is its willingness to change with the times. New partnerships with other community agencies such as the high school or the Jaycees allows the club to pool resources and improve its ability to serve the community. In 2006, "Lion Joe" created and now maintains the photo-filled, informative website. In 2010, Lion Denise Lenz took on the challenge of organizing January's , a new endeavor for the Frankfort Lions.

"There’s nothing like new members to bring in new ideas,” Campbell said. “It’s great!”

For more information on joining the Frankfort Lions, contact membership chairman Al Stratton at 815-464-9662.