By Loreen Berlin
The Knott’s Berry Farm Hotel was the site of the Annual Lions Club Silverado Days Grants Luncheon on Tuesday, Feb. 13.
Buena Park Noon Lions Club of District 4-L4 administers the annual three-day Silverado Days carnival each year, sponsored by the City of Buena Park at William Peak Park.
The luncheon is for one purpose—handing out money that was made during Silverado Days.
All money made during the event is given to local non-profits, schools, the library, etc., to those who fill out a request for a Lions’ grant.
This year, 25 requested and were granted various sums of money to help their organizations. Plus early grants were awarded to the Buena Park Coordinating Council Food Bank at Christmastime for food to help families in need and the Lions New Zealand Youth Exchange program, along with the annual Christmas Shopping Spree for children for needed clothing items. The 147 children were given $100 each, by members of the different service organizations in Buena Park, to shop and they also received tickets to Knott’s Berry Farm and complimentary shoes at Payless Shoe Source at Buena Park Downtown Mall.
A special donation this year included helping to move the historic Church of the Reflections from Knott’s Berry Farm to a new location through their foundation, continuing to preserve history.
“Our grants program, chaired by Lion Laura Rodehaver, distributes proceeds from Silverado Days to local non-profit organizations, which has been very successful since 1972,” said Silverado Days General Chair and Entertainment Chair Patrick “Pat” Donnelly. “This year’s grant brings our total distribution to $1,325,800, which doesn’t include the millions of dollars earned by our nonprofit Game and Food Booth operators.”
Grants were presented by Silverado Days Assistant General Chair and Treasurer Lion Dale Eichman.
Donnelly noted that Silverado Days is unique in that it is administered by an all-volunteer organization, the Buena Park Noon Lions Club, working on behalf of the City of Buena Park. “City Council, the Police Department, Community Services, Public Works, and the City Administration staff are vital to our success,” Donnelly explained. “Other organizations have also joined us over the years to organize some of our events and contests and we thank them.”
New this year, Lions announced they now have a charitable foundation recently created by Lions Club member Sunny Youngsun Park, law attorney partner at Park and Asher. The stated mission of the new foundation is to support the Buena Park Noon Lions Club and its charitable activities.
“There are a number of growing baby boomers in Buena Park and the foundation would like to help those individuals and/or companies be able to leave a lasting and meaningful legacy by giving back to the community through the Lions Foundations,” said Park.
Donnelly barely closes the books on one Silverado Days before he has wheels in motion for the next year to have new, exciting, and interesting entertainment and events for Silverado Days.
The theme for the 2018 Silverado Days has been announced: A Harvest of Service, to include all of the service organizations within the city who get involved with the annual event.
There are other non-profit groups and organizations that benefit from Silverado Days as well, by purchasing a booth at the event to make money for their individual organizations, so it’s a win-win situation.
Schools and non-profits can also make extra money by selling opportunity tickets on the Buena Park Noon Lions Club AAA Vacation Trip; tickets are $2 each and the organizations selling the tickets get to keep $1 of every ticket sale; another win-win.
Different organizations and individuals purchase the use of one of the 16 food booths, 20 game booths, 90 arts and crafts booths, along with the 20 carnival rides and the money that goes to their organization and the Lions gain money for charity; not one penny of Silverado Days money is spent by the Buena Park Noon Lions Club; it all goes to local charity, by virtue of the manner in which the Club is set up and administered.
Silverado Days draws more than 60,000 people to the festival. Local businesses and individuals may join the Lions Booster Club anytime during the year to help offset festival costs, which further makes more money for the Lions to give to local charities.
Cost to join the Booster Club is $75 for individuals and $150 for businesses. Checks may be sent to Booster Club Chair Kathy La Pierre at P.O. Box 6782, Buena Park, CA, 90622.
The annual car show has increased to 350 vintage vehicles, which is presented by Gary Brown Productions. There’s the World Amateur Arm Wrestling Championship, presented by the California State and Amateur Arm Wrestling Association.
Also, there’s an amateur and professional horseshoe contest sponsored by the Southern California Horseshoe Association, which is now named for its long-time supporter Lion Dr. Bill Wewer, who worked hand-in-hand for his 48 years of Lions membership with organizer Al Cardenas.
The Senior Citizen Commission sponsors the annual pie-eating contest, which is a hoot to see how quickly people of all ages can inhale a yummy piece of chocolate pie for a prize. A Senior Citizens Production of the annual “Hog calling” contest brings out a lot of wannabe farmers to call the pigs and it’s a riot with some even in costume, headed up by Senior Center Director Mark Sauceda.
There’s a baby contest, known as the “Baby Classic.” The men’s leg’s contest is sponsored by the Soroptimists of Buena Park, and a mutt show by the Community Services Department.
The Boys & Girls Club of Buena Park has taken the lead in the Woodshop Weekend under the leadership of Bob Eastland with the Boys & Girls Club. Also, Ganahl Lumber sponsors fun projects for kids at the Silverado Days Kids Karnival.
For those with a palette for wild and hot foods, the Rotary Club of Buena Park, under the watchful eye of Baron Night, sponsors a fiery chili cook-off event, participated in by locals, and tasted and judged for prizes.
A fairly new Lions Club member, Kari Schlagheck, organized a Silverado Days 5K run/walk for those in good physical shape or wanting to get in shape, and she is in charge of the annual Relay for Life event. For information and to sign up for the run/walk, visit www.SilveradoDays.com.
Silverado Days 2018 is set for William Peak Park, Friday through Sunday, Oct. 19-21 at 7225 El Dorado Dr. in Buena Park, opening at 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 19 and continuing through Sunday evening, Oct. 21, when there’s the drawing at 9 p.m. sharp on the Main Stage for a AAA vacation.
Lions Secretary Joe Rodehaver heads up the ticket sales where schools and other non-profits can sell the tickets for $2 each and keep $1 for their organization.
Tickets for the vacation may be purchased at the Lions booth near the food court at Silverado Days or see any Lions member beforehand, especially during the annual Summer Concerts at Boisseranc Park off Dale St., north of La Palma Ave.
There’s free nonstop entertainment on the Main Stage each day of Silverado Days and plenty of nonprofit food booths surrounding the stage where food may be purchased while enjoying the free entertainment.
The Lions hold a Pancake Breakfast Sunday morning at 7 a.m. and Silverado Sam, also known as Lion Don McCay, former City Council member and mayor, is always on hand to pass out Silverado Days badges to the youngsters, as he is the Silverado Days mascot dressed in full western attire.
It is an event for the youngsters as well as the young at heart.
“We’re proud people can bring their families to Silverado Days and be safe,” said Donnelly, as he acknowledged that, “It takes a lot of people to make Silverado Days happen.”
See you at Silverado Days 2018—A Harvest of Service, where the community comes together for a weekend of the Lions motto, “We serve.”
Lions is the largest service club in the world, with 46,000 clubs throughout the world.
For more information, visit www.silveradodays.com.
