Lakeville fundraiser proceeds for pavilion roof
The Lakeville Booster Club Park pavilion roof needs repairs, and local community members have an opportunity to help get the roof back to top shape.
Lakeville Booster Club will host a chicken barbecue fundraiser starting at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 24 at Shreve Auto Repair to help raise funds for repairing the damaged roof.
The chicken halves cost $8 and are to go only. The plan is to sell the halves until they run out, according to LBC President Richard Porter.
Porter said the end goal is to raise $2,500, which is the estimated amount needed to repair the roof. He has already received some donations toward the roof fund, but they still have plenty more work to do to hit their goal.
“The pavilion roof got in the shape it is because there are trees around it, ash trees and an old sycamore tree,” Porter said. “Ash borer killed the ash trees, and the sycamore tree got old and was falling down, and some limbs fell out of the trees, and they fell onto the roof and put holes in it.”
Porter said the pavilion is mostly used by people traveling through the area these days.
“It used to be busy every weekend with family reunions or meetings or something,” he said. “As time has gone on, people have moved to better venues that have enclosed buildings and air-conditioners and full kitchens. The Lakeville Booster Club Park is basically used now if someone from the community wants to go down there and have a picnic, they do.
“It’s mostly used by travelers who come through. They’ll stop there and take a break and enjoy the park and the quiet. Travelers get out and walk their dogs and those types of things.”
Lakeville Booster Club owns and operates the park. Porter has served as the unofficial caretaker of the park in recent years. He has done the mowing and several other maintenance-related items.
Keeping the park up and running is important to Porter.
“I feel compelled to try to keep the pavilion going because the Lakeville Booster Club was incorporated in 1950, and the people at that time worked hard to do a lot of projects,” he said. “A lot of things that Lakeville still has today were through their work in the past, and I just feel it’s important to carry on and keep the park open more than anything else in their memory.”
Those who can’t make it to the fundraiser but still want to donate toward the roof fund can send donations to the Lakeville Fire Department: C/O Lakeville Fire Department, P.O. Box 27, Lakeville, OH 44638, with the notation roof repair.
Porter said the Lakeville Booster Club is seeking new members. To find out more information about joining the club, email him at rporter8@neo.rr.com.
