To the Editor:
Harbor Days is the Mattapoisett Lions Club’s largest fundraising event of the year. The success of Harbor Days is the result of an amazing team effort by volunteers from other Lions Clubs, members of the community, members of the Women’s Club, and the generosity of our host, the town of Mattapoisett (and I mean the entire town). The cooperation and support of Chief Andy Murray and the Fire Department, Chief Mary Lyons and the Police Department, Horace Field the Harbormaster, fellow Lion Barry Denham and the Highway Department, Andy Bobola and the Building Department, Dale Barrows and the Board of Health, the Board of Selectmen, the ORR Football Team and Swim Team, the Boy Scouts, and the residents of the town of Mattapoisett, who tolerate and enjoy Harbor Days, is critical to the success of this event. Thank you all!
Because of the success of Harbor Days, Mattapoisett Lions Club will be able to continue to provide support for community projects, as well as Lion’s charities.
Everyone knows what Harbor Days is about; however, not everyone knows some of the more heartwarming stories that happened this year. I would like to share a few with you:
Wednesday night, we served strawberry shortcake during the band concert in the gazebo. A gentleman came in and ordered two strawberry shortcakes and four tickets to the lobster dinner. The bill came to $80 and he gave us two $100 bills and told us to keep the change.
Saturday night after the Lobster Dinner, we showed a movie under the big tent. A gentleman approached and asked how much for the big (four-foot high) bag of popcorn. I looked at the crowd and figured we could sell about 30 small bags for $1 each, so I told him $30. He bought the bag and gave it all away to those in attendance. He was a member of another Lions Club in a city in Massachusetts and wanted to show his support for our club.
There was a family visiting the United States for the very first time from Norway: a mom and her two teenage daughters. The mom came up to me and told me her father was a Lion in Norway and had given her some decorative Lions pins to exchange with ours.
Stories like this make all the hard work worthwhile and make the aches and pains fade a little faster. If anyone is interested in joining our team, you can reach us by email at mattlionsclub@gmail.com.
Sincerely,
Donald Bamberger
President, Mattapoisett Lions Club