EAST LONGMEADOW – Last year over 300 people came to Heritage Park pond in East Longmeadow on the first day of the school system’s spring vacation for the return of the town’s beloved fishing derby. This year’s fishing derby, which will be hosted on April 18, is expected to have an even larger crowd. As the Lions Club prepares, they have implemented a new form of fundraising that they hope residents and local businesses will participate in.

The East Longmeadow Lions Club brought back the fishing derby last year – which had been a tradition for 55 years – for the town’s 125th Anniversary. The annual spring fishing derby was once put on by the Jaycees, however the group disbanded years ago. The Lions Club decided they would bring the popular event back on an annual basis as part of their ongoing efforts to work with and for the community.

While last year the Lions Club hosted multiple fundraising drives for their separate events, this year the club is changing it up. The fundraising campaign, which will be kicking off soon, is called, “Sponsors of the Pride.”

Sponsors of the Pride has a goal of raising $15,000, which will go toward all of the Lions Club’s events that happen within a calendar year. These events include, but are not limited to: the fishing derby, golf tournament, 4th of July Carnival, 4th of July Parade, National Night Out, and more.  In addition to the events that the Lions Club hosts for the community, they also support numerous organizations with monetary donations: Valley Eye Radio, Mass Lions Eye Research, the East Longmeadow Open Pantry, the town’s Christmas lights, Journey for Sight and more.

“We are hoping that businesses that have supported us so generously in the past will be willing to give us a one-time, yearly donation that we will use to finance all club projects,” Immediate Past President Paul Cunningham explained.

To become an annual Sponsor of the Pride, the Lions Club is offering three levels of donations to choose from, gold, silver or bronze.  A gold sponsorship denotes an individual or business that donated over $300, silver denotes $100 to $299, and bronze $10 to $99.

“Sponsoring the East Longmeadow Lions Club entitles your business or family name to be listed on our Lions Sponsors banner. All non-monetary donations will be acknowledged at the same sponsorship levels. This acknowledgement banner will be displayed at all our East Longmeadow Lions public functions and activities,” the sponsorship request letter reads.

The Lions Club noted that this Sponsors of the Pride fundraising campaign will be the only solicitation from their group this year, and they will be visiting local businesses in anticipation of gaining local support for their countless causes.

For more information about the East Longmeadow Lions Club, go to the clubs Facebook page or their website, ellions.org. If you or your business would like to sponsor the East Longmeadow Lions Club, monetary donations can be sent to Lion Scott Grabowski at 25 Greenacre Ln. East Longmeadow, MA 01028. All gifts in the form of prizes for upcoming events can be sent to Al Grimaldi, 48 Millbrook Dr. East Longmeadow, MA 01028.