By Ed Pierce
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| On Wednesday, Oct. 29, Raymond Lions Club members dedicated one of four benches in memory of founding member Bob Jones. His family attended the dedication, from left, Elaine Jones, daughter Wendy Jones, son-in-law Jamie Anderson, and daughter Kathi Anderson. COURTESY PHOTO |
Sheri Gagnon Memorial Park in Raymond has become more comfortable this fall, thanks to a generous gift from the Raymond Lions Club.
On Wednesday Oct. 29, Raymond Lions Club members dedicated four new benches to the Town of Raymond for use at Sheri Gagnon Memorial Park. The benches are located at the park’s new Pickleball and Tennis courts, as well as at the Basketball court.
Construction of the Pickleball and Tennis Courts was recently finished and dedicated to the memory of the late Brenda Olsen.
“The Lions coordinated with Joe Crocker, who at the time was the town’s Parks and Recreation Director,” said Laurie Wallace, president of the Raymond Lions Club. “He then arranged with Nathan White, Raymond Public Works Director, to build and place the benches. Their support was greatly appreciated. It was a great partnership, and the Town of Raymond needs some unity right now.”
Each bench includes a plaque acknowledging the bench donations by the Raymond Lions Club, but Wallace says that one of the plaques holds even greater value.
“It reads "In Memory of Bob Jones, Founder of Raymond Lions Club,” Wallace said.
The Raymond Lions Club was first chartered in September 1995, sponsored by the Windham Lions Club, and Bob Jones of Raymond coordinated activities associated with chartering the new club. Jones was also active in several other Lions Clubs over the years before his death in May 2024.
His widow, Elaine Jones, daughters Wendy Jones and Kathi Anderson and her husband Jamie Anderson were on hand to witness the dedication and try out the new benches at Sheri Gagnon Memorial Park. Kathi and Jamie Anderson were also members of the Raymond Lions Club.
Current Lions Club members Laurie Wallace, Bob Wallace, Dale Gilman, Caryl Gilman, Barbara Brown and Gil Brown also attended the dedication event.
Lions Club International’s mission is to empower Lions clubs, volunteers, and partners to improve health and well-being, strengthen communities, and support those in need through humanitarian services and grants that impact lives locally and globally, and encourage peace and international understanding.
Members of the Lions Clubs across the world believe in changing lives by serving the needs of local communities. In all, more than 1.4 million Lions Club members internationally are responding to difficult local and global challenges with kindness and caring.
The Raymond Lions Club was formed in 1995 and is an active group of service minded men and women who want to make Raymond a better place to live by serving the community in a variety of ways. It is a part of the world's largest, and most active service club organization, Lions Club International.
Along with other Lions Club members worldwide, the Raymond Lions Club works with their fellow Lions in more than 170 countries and geographical areas to seek out and help the needy in their own communities, their country, and the world.
Ongoing club projects include collection of used eyeglasses to reuse for people in Third World countries. There is a club collection box in the Raymond Village Library and at the Raymond Town Office. The primary fundraising activity for the Raymond Lions Club is its continuing bottle drive. They have two bottle collection sites, at the Raymond Town Hall parking lot at 401 Webbs Mills Road, and at the Jordan Bay Animal Hospital driveway at 1242 Roosevelt Trail.
Half of the proceeds from the bottle drive fund the Raymond Lions Club Scholarships and the other half goes to multiple Raymond-based organizations such as the Raymond Food Pantry, Raymond Village Library, Veterans Memorial Park, Raymond Fire & Rescue, as well as many other regional non-profit groups.
The club meets monthly in Raymond and is active in many worthwhile community service projects in the Raymond and Casco areas. For further details about the Raymond Lions Club, please contact Wallace at 207-415-3901. <
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