Commentary by Tim Reinhart, Lions Club President
The morning began like so many others: I hit the snooze button a couple of times, got dressed, let the dog out, helped get the kids ready for school and then I was off to a breakfast meeting with a few Lions members to discuss some of our upcoming projects. What was different about this morning was that the local news was reporting on water roaring through Lions Park like it was part of the mighty Mississippi River. I was inducted as president of the Zionsville Lions Club just the week before and began to wonder what I signed myself up for. Suddenly, the worst flooding since the 1950s was going to severely impact my club and the cherished treasure of our community, Lions Park.
What happened next was amazing and a blessing. Over the course of that weekend, hundreds of volunteers rolled up their sleeves to help us clean out the mud from our restrooms and clubhouse, retrieve wooden picnic tables from downstream Creekside Nature Park that were lodged in trees, clean debris off the walking paths and out of the baseball fence rows, move the heavy bleachers that were displaced from the raging waters and so much more.
The many Zionsville Lions Club members who helped clean the park were thrilled to have the extra hands of help from the members and families of the Zionsville Alpha Leo Club, the Zionsville Little League, the Zionsville United Methodist Church Youth Group, Boy Scout Pack #358 and the Brownsburg and Lafayette Lions Clubs.
Several local businesses and groups provided their services or equipment. I would like to recognize and say Thank You to: ERMCO, Control Tech, MAJAC Electric, Windhaven Farms (the Rheinheimer Family) Akard True Value Hardware, Napa Auto Parts Zionsville,
The Snider Group Inc, Inga’s Popcorn, Boone County Resource Recovery and the Town of Zionsville.
Unfortunately, there were some significant losses due to the flooding. There was extensive damage to the park’s electrical system, tractors and other equipment and supplies that the Lions and Little League use in the park to make our events happen. At the moment, the cost estimates are several thousand dollars to repair or replace these items that are very much needed for our club.
Lions Park is 100 percent owned and operated by the volunteers who work tirelessly to fundraise to maintain the park. Last year, with the cancellation of our second largest fundraiser, Fourth of July due to the drought, and with loss from this flood, the Zionsville Lions are motivated to fundraise so that we can carry on the tradition for our community to enjoy for many years to come.
I am humbled by the generosity of our community and I look forward to seeing you in Lions Park again real soon!