Madera Evening Lions trip the light fantastic

Tami Jo Nix/The Madera Tribune

Madera Police Chief Dino Lawson with his wife Melissa enjoys an evening out at the event. Chief Lawson helped raise $6,000 for the project.

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The fifth annual Evening Lions Club “Dancing Through the Decades,” dinner dance and fundraiser was a relaxed and fun affair featuring the music of the last century. The guests dined on New York strip and teriyaki chicken dinner, accompanied by French style green beans with bacon, red potatoes in a heavy cream sauce with salad from Johnny’s BBQ, owned by chef and farmer John McLaughlin of El Nido.

Several tables of gourmet desserts were sold by silent auction and shared with fellow diners by the winning bidders.

The funds raised are earmarked for veterans services for those recently discharged following tours of duty in the Middle East. The Madera youths in the Leo Club also will benefit. The members of the high school-aged Lions Club served as busboys and girls clearing the tables and lending a hand where necessary.

Bartending duties were performed by Gerry Desmond, Bobby Gran, Brittany Rapp and Camyle Peters.

The live and silent auctions brought out the generosity of Madera philanthropists.

The largest donation came through a day spent with Madera Police Chief Dino Lawson to include lunch and a trip to the firing range. The adventure raised $2,000. What made this particular donation such a great success is when Chief Lawson agreed to let three people buy the prize for a total of $6,000.

Kevin Peters announced that he and Jean were stepping down after five years as event chairs. Next year’s event chair will have large shoes to fill.