Another Withee Days has come and gone. Attendance seems to go down every year. This is sad for those of us who have good memories of Withee Days, over 60 years’ worth. It is also sad because of the number of volunteers it takes to put on an event like this and the number of hours that are put in by the Withee Lions and their helpers who are dedicated to doing something good for the community. Their efforts should not be in vain.
There were no candidates for the O-W Ambassador position this year. When I ran for Miss Withee Belle almost 50 years ago, there were six of us and it was a real competition to see who could sell the most raffle tickets. Business owners donated some nice prices for us too. But it is getting harder and harder to get young people willing to represent their community in this way. Plenty of our local youth participate in sports, or music, or drama, or any of a number of school organizations. So it isn’t that they aren’t willing to put in some effort. It just seems this is no longer a thing they want to do and it will probably fall by the wayside in the near future as it has in some other communities.
We also have to look at the money raised at an event like this. Withee Days is no longer the Lions biggest fundraiser, but it still provides money for them to do things in the community. And they really do things in the community. You can’t drive through either Owen or Withee and not see something that Lions haven’t had a hand in creating. They also donate money to help others like the Food Pantry. They support the Scouts in numerous ways. They are, and hopefully always will be, an asset to our community.
So, going forward, the entire community needs to show their support for these dedicated individuals. They don’t do it for the recognition. They do it because they care about their community. In addition to attending the events they put on like Withee Days and the Ice Fishing Contest, you can support them in other ways. They need young people to step up and be members. They need volunteers to help in the food stand, beer stand and with games at their events.
Here is a big shout out to the O-W Lions Club and a thank you for caring about our community!