Thanks (for) Giving

by Jim & Phyllis Wilkins

With Thanksgiving 2013 tomorrow, we were reminded of the many individuals in our area who give all year long and to whom we owe our Thanks. First, we would like to give Thanks to our men and women serving in the military, past and present.

Thanks for Giving to those who volunteer their time at revitalized Our Towne Conference and Visitors Center and to those with the vision to bring back this facility.

A Thanks for Giving also goes out to our volunteer Fire Department and our volunteer Emergency Medical Service. Let us all be thankful and say thanks to these Fairfield Bay Volunteers who will be there, ready to help their neighbors, even on the holiday, if necessary.

Thanks for Giving to serve and protect by our police officers, sheriff’s deputies and our 9-1-1 dispatchers who are there every day and every holiday.

Thanks for Giving to our volunteer Library and Chamber of Commerce personnel who are always there to greet us or our visitors with a smile and a kind word. These folks help make this a better place to live with the service of books, movies, music and information they provide for us all year long.

Thanks for Giving to our all volunteer staff at the Hippe Recycle Center who give of their time six days a week to assist us in making Fairfield Bay a better green community. Thanks to them for helping us recycle hundreds of thousands of pounds of material each year instead of adding it to an environmental problem in a dump.

Thanks for Giving to all those who donate blood to the Red Cross drives during the year.

Thanks for Giving to all who belong to caring organizations such as the Shriners, Rotary, Knights of Columbus, Kirk of the Hills Men’s Club and other church volunteers, our scout and youth leaders, and other community groups who provide scholarships, leadership and humanitarian assistance year long.

And finally, Thanks for Giving, to our fellow Lions who work during the year to promote our motto of We Serve. Thanks to those Lions who work with the various eyesight programs, to those who work to provide assistance and guidance as the charter sponsor for the scouting programs, and to those Lions working with other programs to provide assistance to those in need. This Thanksgiving, let us all remember to say Thanks for Giving to our neighbors and friends, who give of themselves all year long to make Fairfield Bay a better place to live.

The Fairfield Bay Lions would like to wish all a Happy Thanksgiving whether visiting family elsewhere, having family here or just enjoying the day with friends. Our next regular meeting will be Thursday, February 13, 2014.