Lions Club carnival returns to Graham News Staff Fri, 05/03/2024 - 8:30 am
- (THE GRAHAM LEADER | ARCHIVE PHOTO) The Ferris wheel at the Graham Lions Club Carnival lights up the corner of Second Street and Elm Street in 2023. The carnival will be returning to Graham next week starting Wednesday, May 8.
- (THE GRAHAM LEADER | ARCHIVE PHOTO) Visitors to the Graham Lions Club Carnival in 2021 are flung into the air on a ride. The downtown square will once again be filled with rides, games, food and more when the carnival returns next week.
TC Gordon news@grahamleader.com
It’s time, once again, for fun, food and more as the Graham Lions Club Carnival returns to Graham next week.
The annual Lions Club Carnival is set to take over the Graham downtown square each evening from Wednesday, May 8 through Saturday, May 11. The carnival will open each night at 5:30 p.m. and provides an opportunity for fun and fellowship for Graham citizens.
There’s something to be enjoyed for everyone of all ages at the carnival. There will be rides, carnival games, loads of food like corn dogs, hamburgers, German sausage and more. It’s a unique experience that people can participate in right here in Graham.
“There are a ton of people that so look forward to the carnival coming, because they’re not capable of going to Disney World and places like that,” carnival co-chair and club member Jim Senkel said. “You see the people coming out and doing stuff and everything that we make goes back into making this a better world to live in.”
The Graham Lions Club has hosted the event annually since 1974. The very first carnival was in the fall of that year before the club moved it to the spring in 1975 and every year since then. The Lions Club has worked with two carnival companies in the time they have hosted this event. Senkel said the company they work with currently is one of the biggest carnival companies in the world.
Hosting the carnival each year is the Lions Club’s primary fundraiser for all they do for the local community. Throughout the years, the club has regularly donated money and time to various projects around Graham and their mark has been made.
The majority of the funds for the Lions Club projects come from this carnival week as the club looks to fulfill its motto.
“Our Lions Club motto is ‘We serve,’ that’s what we’re called to do so that’s what we try to do,” Senkel said.
While the Lions Club is responsible for all the food concessions booths, other organizations help with putting on the event. In total, over 100 volunteers serve each year including GISD students, members of the Graham Evening Lions Club and other members of the Graham community.
It’s a huge project that requires a lot of planning and teamwork to execute. But the carnival is always one of the highlights of the year in Graham as people come together for evenings of fun and entertainment.
Funds raised at the carnival go to causes such as the PK Relays, SPOT eye screenings for over 8,000 children in school districts within a 40 to 60 mile radius of Graham, the Texas Lions Camp for Disabled Children, leader dogs for the blind, the honors banquet for Graham High School seniors, Straight Street after school program, scholarships for Graham High School seniors, Graham Regional Medical Center’s Health Fair, Remembering Wyatt Dale Water Safety and other programs.
Other projects in the past that have received help from carnival funds have included the building of Young County Arena, restroom facilities on the downtown square and the former 4-H and FFA livestock facilities. The club also funds and donates to the Angel Tree program, the Crisis Center, the food bank and other nonprofit organizations that present requests to the board.
Although the Lions Club is a nationwide organization, the Graham chapter fundraises and keeps the majority of the money here in Graham. The club fundraisers serve as a way for the members to give back to the community and help wherever they can. And they’re always welcoming of new members who wish to serve.
“The Lions Club is always looking for other people to come and be part of us that want to serve our community and our world,” Senkel said.
Breaking News Off
Most Popular
Comments / 0