Dundee Lions Club names winners in Ron Rhoades Festival of Trees
During the annual Dickens in Dundee, the Dundee Township Lions Club hosted their annual Ron Rhoades Festival of Trees at Grafelman Park in West Dundee with 21 trees decorated in holiday themes.
Not-for-profit groups including Scouts, churches, library, and veteran groups participated.
This year marked 10 years since the Dundee Lions decided to honor longtime club member Ron Rhoades by permanently adding his name to the annual Festival of Trees event. He died in late 2012 at age 88.
For three decades, he was an educator for Community Unit District 300 and the first principal of Dundee Highlands Elementary School. He was a faithful member and elder of Bethlehem Lutheran Church and a member of the Dundee Township Lions Club for almost 60 years, where he held numerous leadership positions and contributed in numerous community service projects.
The winning trees in each category are:
• Beauty: First place, Tri-City Evergreen Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2298 and Auxiliary in West Dundee; and second place, Fox River Valley Public Library in East Dundee.
• Holiday Spirit: First place, Association for Individual Development's O'Shea Center in Elgin; and second place, Cub Scout Pack 43.
• Creativity: First place, the Meadowdale and Golfview Units of the Boys and Girls Club of Dundee Township; and second place, youth group at Christ the Lord Lutheran Church in Elgin.
Each group brought can goods or monetary donations for the FISH Food Pantry in Carpentersville.
In spite of the rain, 727 pounds of food was donated. And much hot chocolate was supplied to help take the chill out of the air for the participants.
The Lions are continuing to sell Christmas trees and wreathes at Grafelman Park, on Main Street between Fourth and Fifth streets, to raise money for community charities.
The sale continues from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday, Dec. 7-8, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 9-10. One hundred percent of the proceeds go to local charities.
Your purchase helps the Lions support many deserving community organizations. For updates on times, go to Dundee Township Lions Club Facebook page.
The club makes donations to many local charities and organizations, including Camp Lions, FISH Food Pantry, Child's Voice, Elgin Community Crisis Center, Illinois Fire Safety Alliance Summer Camp; Tri-Cities Challenge League,
Association for Individual Development, Cub Scout Pack 36, Girl Scouts, Dundee Township Boys and Girls Club, Eversight, Shop with a Cop, Lions International and Lions Illinois Foundation, and Northern Illinois Special Recreation Association.
The club also offers eye exam clinics and glasses for those in need.