[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 64 (Thursday, May 15, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E936]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



[[Page E936]]

                    TRIBUTE TO RIVERHEAD LIONS CLUB

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MICHAEL P. FORBES

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 15, 1997

  Mr. FORBES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the Riverhead 
Lions Club, an invaluable community service organization that is 
celebrating its 50th anniversary as a charter Lions Club. For the past 
half-century the Riverhead Lions Club has lived up to the spirit of 
Lionism--``We Serve''--by serving the needs of the children and 
elderly, the blind, and the poor of this east end Long Island 
community.
  The charities and community programs that the members of the 
Riverhead Lions Club support have a profound effect on the quality of 
life of so many of my neighbors here on eastern Long Island. In the 
interest of time, I can name but a few, but they include the Guide Dog 
Foundation, scholarships for Riverhead High School students, the 
Riverhead Senior Citizens Center, Central Suffolk Hospital to the March 
of Dimes and regular food drives.
  In its first 50 years of existence, the members of the Riverhead 
Lions Club are most fondly remembered in the community for the annual 
show, which evolved into the annual Christmas parade that delights the 
children and adults of Riverhead every December. Just as important, the 
Lions Club has sponsored the Riverhead Little League, provided free eye 
examinations and eyeglasses for the needy, and sponsored guide dog 
training and held dinner-dances to raise funds for the blind.
  There were 31 charter members who founded the Riverhead Lions Club 
back in 1947. The two surviving charter members are Charles E. Gate, a 
retired attorney who now resides in Colorado, and John R. Bagshaw, a 
realtor who still lives in Riverhead.
  Here on the east end of Long Island, just as they do across America, 
we treasure the close-knit, community spirit of our towns and villages, 
where neighbors help each through their times of need. Mr. Speaker, 
Riverhead is a community where residents are committed to helping those 
in need, whether it's feeding a hungry child, helping a talented 
student afford a college education, or caring for an elderly neighbor.
  That is why I ask my colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives 
to join me in saluting the Riverhead Lions Club on its 50th 
anniversary. For half a century, the Lions Club has done more than just 
help their neighbors who need it, or provide recreational opportunities 
for their children. The Lions Club has also provided the citizens of 
Riverhead the opportunity to express their strong love for the 
community by getting involved and by helping their neighbors. 
Congratulations to the Riverhead Lions Club, and may it enjoy many more 
happy anniversaries to come.

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