Group celebrates charitable giving
After another successful season of raising funds to give back to the community, the Northport Lions Club will hold its last fundraising event of the year, its annual holiday dinner, on Friday at Northport Pub & Grille.
The club meets from April to December each year and takes the winter off. The celebration dinner not only brings club members together for a nice meal before the holidays, but also serves as a significant fundraiser to round out the year.
Funds raised at the holiday function goes towards gift cards for the Leelanau County Holiday Needs Program. About $1,000 worth of gift cards to Tom’s Food Market and another $1,000 worth of gift cards to Old Navy are purchased through the county holiday program and then distributed to county residents thanks to a special annual request to the membership of the club in the name of the late Patty DeYoung.
Northport Lions Club secretary Doug Whitley said DeYoung was a very active club member, with her husband, Hank, still serving as the club treasurer today. He said 12 years ago, DeYoung became aware of a young family with a new baby that was in need of propane. During that first holiday dinner over a decade ago, DeYoung told the group that they needed to raise some money to help the family, and on that night, club members donated $700 on the spot. Since then, the club has been gathering every December for the annual holiday event to continue helping those in need.
“Most of the money that we raise from the Patty DeYoung fund goes through the Leelanau County Holiday Needs program, but in keeping with the tradition, we have also given money to individuals in Leelanau Township who have personal needs,” Whitley said. “We’ve done things like buying propane and helping disabled folks. That’s just another part of what we do each December. It’s been very successful.”
The Northport Lions Club has always been very involved and focused on charity, giving, and service work in the community. Another major value of the group is camaraderie, Whitley said, which is something that unites everyone to better help the community.
“It’s a very caring and service oriented group — the group is giving away in charity money about $20,000 a year. That’s a significant amount of money to raise and donate,” he said. “All of our profits go to charity, so when people buy a hot dog at Music in the Park or buy pancakes at the Fly-In, they’re helping our charity work… but most of our focus is on the immediate community of Leelanau Township.”
In 2024, eight new members joined the club, helping to ensure that the group continues to grow. The total charitable giving in 2023-2024 was approximately $18,600, with the Patty DeYoung Holiday Giving Fund dispersing $4,600 in December of 2023. Of that 2023-2024 total, the Charitable Giving Fund dispersed $14,000, and the chief recipients were programs directed towards eyesight, disabilities, food assistance, teens, the library, performing arts, and assistance for community members in need. According to the club, the largest grants went to Leelanau Christian Neighbors, Leelanau Investing for Teens, and five other organizations that help the visually impaired and special needs children.
