Lions’ drive-in food drive fills truck, collects cash

BY SARA KEDDY

Kings County Register

Coldbrook Lions admit they ‘keep a couple weekends for themselves” running charitable efforts at the Valley drive-in, but it’s all for a good cause.

They picked a great weekend July 31 through August 3: the features included the latest Harry Potter flick and My Sister’s Keeper - movies almost guaranteeing a full lot.

The Lions operate the drive-in on summer weekends, but offer local teams and groups a chance to come in and hold 50/ 50 draws as fundraisers. “We always keep a couple for ourselves,” says King Lion Kirk Longmire, a weekend drive-in volunteer. The club has donated its results in the past to the food bank, Valley Search and rescue and Fidelis House, to name a few local causes.

The August long weekend, one of the Lions’ volunteer groups couldn’t make it, so the Lions worked it themselves: the 50/ 50 draws for four nights were designated for the food bank, and anyone showing up August 3 for the single show of My Sister’s Keeper, bringing a bag of food, got $15 off the $15 carload entry fee. “This has gone over exceptionally well,” Longmire says. The Lions ended up with 445 lbs of food, all donated to the Berwick Food Bank the next day, along with $700 raised in the 50-50 draws. “Needless to say, the food bank was very excited with this unexpected donation of cash and product,” says Longmire.

The Lions run the drive-in movies weekends at dusk, a Tuesday evening drive-in bingo and Sunday morning flea markets: free for sellers, and attracting over 300 people at the gate. Along with the weekend canteen at Aylesford Lake beach, community monthly dances and breakfasts, club members are able to raise funds for multiple community projects.