DOLLY SINATRA LODGE #2400

I believe we really started out recognizing people that went to extraordinary lengths to help their fellow man, after the events of 9/11. We stood up as a nation, and cheered, and celebrated the firemen and police of New York. And we couldn’t thank them enough for their service, that was beyond exceptional, that day, and subsequent days. And they truly deserved it!

Then came Covid and we as a nation celebrated the doctors, nurses and all those that rose up, despite the perils of dealing with the disease, and took care of the sick. Much the same can be said about the firefighters and people that recently dealt with the disasters of the Los Angeles fires.

They, the volunteers, whether paid professionals or simply people that see a need, and join in, are our heroes! Taking the concept that these are our heroes, that they rightfully should be celebrated, don’t we need to thank all volunteers. whom make life a little better, easier and simply more fun, should also be celebrated!

It’s not a stretch to compare levels of service during disasters to everyday volunteering. It takes special people to keep so much around us functioning. Anywhere there are volunteers giving of their time you’re looking at a HERO!

Our Lodge couldn’t survive without the volunteers! From the inception of the Lodge, it has been held together and grown because of volunteers! Just look at Joe and Laurie LaPorta, they’ve been volunteering over twenty years!

Today if you enjoy coming to the Lodge, visiting, dining and being entertained it’s because of volunteers, so I think we need to clap a little louder, and to individually thank everyone you see, that’s pitching in to make the wonderful Lodge, function at the extraordinary level it does!!

So with that in mind it’s time to get your annual dues paid, so you have a wonderful Lodge! It’s time to start thinking of putting a team together for our annual JOE LaPORTA SIXTH ANNUAL GOLF TOURNAMENT, coming in November! We raised an incredible 7 thousand dollars for the charities of the Western Foundation in 2024, and we’re going to beat that this year with everyone’s effort! And we thank Ron Latteri for a special donation, as we thank each and everyone. for the dollars in the “donation tip jar”. It all helps so much!!

And we can’t forget that our own St. Patrick, revered in Ireland, is to be celebrated on the 19th of March! It is this column’s writers SPECIAL DAY!