By Dawn De Busk

Staff Writer

NAPLES — The eyes are a big focus for this group.

This organization’s fall fundraiser is the apple of almost everyone’s eyes. They sell apple pies on the Naples Causeway around the time of the Fryeburg Fair.

One more hint.

The civic group is the winner of the 2024 Spirit of America award.

The Naples Lion’s Club has been doing two decades of community-minded activities both in the limelight and behind the scenes. Selling apple pies and sponsoring the student of the month are out in the public eye. Another very visible activity in which the Naples Lions Club is involved — the Veterans Cruise aboard the Songo River Queen II. On Memorial Day, the club covers the cost of every veteran taking a scenic ride on the paddleboat replica.

Meanwhile, when community members lose their home in a fire, the club quietly and quickly donates the funds for hotel stays or replacing necessities.

The club is very active, meeting twice a month in the basement of the Naples Public Library. Club members commit the first and third Thursday night to gathering there.

President Dave Gerrish shared his comments about the club receiving the honor.

“On Jan. 22, 2024, the Naples Lions Club was presented with the ‘Spirit of America Tribute’ by the Naples Select Board for our contributions. The Spirit of America Foundation is a public charity established in Augusta in 1990 to honor volunteerism. The Spirit of America Tribute given by this organization recognizes individuals and groups, as in this case, the Naples Lions Club, who best exemplify the qualities of the American spirit which includes teamwork and selfless service to those in need,” he said, having researched the award. 

“To me, the Naples Maine Lions Club Charter President and a club officer since we chartered in 2003, the Spirit of America award is a validation that our hard work over the years is not only making a difference in our local community but on a much larger scale.”

“The best thing about us receiving the award is not the personal recognition that the club members may receive but that the public’s awareness of the Lions organization and how we can help might be heightened,” Gerrish concluded/

In other words, it’s an opportunity to talk about the Lions and what they do — all the club members agreed. An important part of what the Lions do is to give back.

“Unlike many organizations, 100% of the money raised through the public by all Lions Clubs must go back to the public,” Gerrish said.

Charter Member Harvey Buzzell, who served as district governor, provided a presentation on the rich history of the Lions Club.

Collecting eyeglasses and providing eye exams for your children are the hallmarks of what the Lions Club does worldwide.  

In 1925, Helen Keller attended the Lions Club International Convention in Cedar Point, Ohio. She challenged the Lions to become the “knights of the blind in the crusade against darkness.” Her speech would crystalize a major mission of the Lion Clubs.

“We took on vision and sight as our main focus at that time . . . Our mission is the worldwide eradication of preventable blindness,” Buzzell said.

Another 78 years passed after Keller’s impactful speech before citizens in Naples, Maine, chartered their own Lions Club.

“People interested in forming a local Lions Club in Naples met at the Naples Town Hall in the winter of 2002/2003. The meetings continued through the spring led by PID Ron Johnson of the Sebago Lions Club. To become a Lions Club, we needed at least 20 people to start and charter a club which we ultimately did on June 30, 2003,” President Gerrish said.

The individual members of the Naples Lions are part of a very large, worldwide organization.

“The service of Lions reaches around the planet. Serving in over 200 countries and geographic areas, we have 48,000 clubs and 1.4 million members,” Buzzell said. “The Lions’ global causes are: Diabetes, the environment, hunger, vision and childhood cancer.”

The State of Maine has 70 clubs and more than 2,000 individual members.

In the past, the Lions have raised money for a generator for Camp Sunshine, and for a jaws-of-life for Naples Rescue Department. Over the years, money has been raised to present to Naples fuel assistance programs as well as high school scholarships.

Prior to joining the club, Gerrish had little knowledge of the Lions.

“I didn’t know anything about the Lions until my wife heard about in the paper. It was advertised in the paper in 2002,” Gerrish said.

“The more we are out there in the public, the more people will know about us. That is what is good about the apple pie sale. We are right out in the public,” he said.

The selling of apple pies and apples is a long-standing tradition. It is also a bit of bonding experience.

“We are all involved with the pie making on the Thursday before the weekend. We get the apples from Five Fields Farm. Typically, we go to Frank and Fran’s house because they have a double oven and can cook more pies at once,” Gerrish said.

In the morning, everyone who is available peels the apples. Then, they put together all the ingredients and build the pies. The dough is made from scratch by Secretary Cathy Gerrish, who is also Dave’s wife.

First Vice-president Yolanda Leary said, “Cathy makes all the pie dough.”

Fran Keen said, “You should see how she looks at the end of the day. She is nothing but flour.”

Dave Gerrish continued, “By the time the members go home at night, we have 24 pies.”

This past autumn, the club baked and sold 75 pies, he said.

“We have people so excited about the pie sales, they almost cause an accident,” Gerrish said.

People are generous with the pie purchases.

“We were charging $18. They would give us $20 and say, ‘Keep the change,’” Buzzell said.

“Someone bought two pies and gave $100 to the Lions,” Gerrish said.

Buzzell expressed mixed feelings about getting an award for something the Lions club is supposed to do — help others in the community. 

On the other hand, “It is always nice to get recognition and know that we are appreciated,” he said. 

Denny Hoeman said, “Maybe, this will attract new members.”