By Jon Morgan

Our 26th annual Holiday Festival may have been the best ever!  An army of  Lions members got a boost from Mother Nature, and we served up fun and food for our townspeople.  Saturday's weather was a bit off, so we did not have big crowds outside, but the crafters had good attendance.  We had 64 crafters, the most since 2005.  I heard that the Easton Women of Today had a good showing for their breakfast (their key fund raiser each year), and Sunday's un-December like weather set us up for a big day. 

We tested some new items this year.  The Carnival Games were a hit!  We've always struggled to find attractions for the teenagers, and feel we're on to something here.....
The different "bouncy" amusements proved quite popular, and we broke in the new Friolators by selling a record number of fried dough.  The iPad raffle was well supported, and even simple ideas (like setting out tables and chairs) had a big impact.  
We'll have an accounting soon for the festival, and know this year will help us more than cover our costs, and put money into those causes that are the foundation of Lionism.

I am inviting anyone with an interest to attend a brief recap meeting prior to our general meeting on Jan 23rd, and welcome anyone's feedback on how we can make the Holiday Festival better.  We'll be packing up the Displays on Saturday, January 5th.
The secret to our success is no secret - we have an incredible group of people who love to give to our community.  Among this group, several of our members stepped forward to guide our efforts for the Holiday Festival.  My thanks to Tony D"Ambrosio, Dennis Gutman, Tyler Bourne, Matt Soldner, Matt Cioffi, Nora Yousif, John Mallers, Judith Jackson, Bill Palmer, Kevin McIntyre, Ryan Cook, Frank Smith,  and Mike Melley.  I also offer a special thanks to Jonathan Phelps, who, while not presently a member, dedicated his weekend to handling Public Address duties.

Thanks to all!