Moose Lodge Breaks Christmas Fundraising Records

The Christmas spirit kicked into overdrive Sunday as the Marion Moose Lodge 1705 and Chapter 1428 hosted deserving families from all over McDowell.Sunday marked the 55th annual Moose Lodge Christmas Party.

The event was started, according to Moose Lodge member Charles Bumgarner, by Loretta Buchanan when the lodge was founded. "They benefited – I think it was – six families that year," he said. "And it's grown to all this."And grow it has. The party had the dining hall at the lodge packed full of families, happy kids and members serving meals. Linda Haynes, the Christmas committee's chair, said the fund-raising process began with a Labor Day motorcycle show. Since then, they have held an auction, fish fry, turkey shoot and raffles "just to name a few of the activities," she said. The payoff was a new fund-raising record. This year, the lodge garnered $11,000, exceeding last year's total by about $1,500."We sponsored 135 children and 50 families this year," said Haynes. "Each family gets a queen- and twin-size blanket and a food box with a ham, and each child gets a gift."