This is a very special edition of the Oxford Leader.
Not because of what’s inside, but because of who it will help this holiday season.
Folks who purchase this newspaper from a member of the Oxford Lions Club between Thursday, Dec. 3 and Saturday, Dec. 5 will have the satisfaction of knowing their money will enable local families in need to enjoy a very merry Christmas indeed.
Proceeds from every copy the Lions Club sells will be used to create Christmas baskets filled with food, new clothing and donated toys for those less fortunate.
This holiday season, the Lions plan to provide much-needed assistance to 45 families in Oxford and Addison townships, consisting of 89 individuals ? 25 children, 43 adults and 21 senior citizens.
‘Even though we are an affluent community, there’s still a number of people that need help,? said Lions Club President Ron Wood. ‘We’re here to help them.?
Sherman Publications, Inc. donated 1,000 copies of the Leader for this annual fund-raiser. The Oxford-based company has been supplying newspapers to the Lions Club for decades.
Lions Club members will be selling them at the intersections of M-24 and Burdick St., and M-24 and W. Drahner Rd.
‘I enjoy being out on the street,? said Wood, who’s been a member of the Lions for six years. ‘It’s just my way of giving back.?
Normally, the newsstand price of the Leader is $1, but there’s no set price for the Goodfellow edition. Folks are encouraged to give whatever they can spare to benefit their fellow man.
‘We get all kinds of donations, from change to $20 and $50 bills,? Wood said. ‘Every little donation spurs you on. You know you’re helping somebody and doing some good. It just keeps you going.?
Wood recalled one year, a particularly generous motorist handed him a $100 check.
‘It all goes back to the community,? he said.
Founded in 1947, the Oxford Lions Club is small, but very active and determined when it comes to making the community a better place to live. Its members consistently lend a helping hand to everyone from visually- and/or hearing-impaired folks to young people seeking a college education to individuals living on low or fixed incomes.
For more information about the Oxford Lions Club or how to join, please call (810) 797-5840 or (248) 628-1293.