Sadly, the Fonthill Lionettes Club will be ending their operations as of June 30, 2025 after 55 years of dedicated service to the Community and the Fonthill Lions.
The Fonthill Lionette Club was formed on October 5, 1970. Their Installation Dinner was held at the Fonthill Legion on November 09, 1970 with 14 members forming the Club, sponsored by the Fenwick Lionettes. At that time, Lionette members were required to be to be the spouse, daughter, mother, sister, aunt or niece of a Lions member.
On October 28, 1989, the Fonthill Lionettes joined Lioness International and the Club name was changed to the Fonthill Lioness, until reclaiming their original name in 2021. The Club’s charter night dinner was also at the Fonthill Legion with 16 members inducted. Lioness Margaret Whittaker was the A-2 President and Wayne MacDonald was the District Governor.
Over the years, the Fonthill Lionettes spearheaded a wide variety of service projects, including tying quilts for Camp Dorset, volunteering at the gift shop of Welland Hospital, feeding patients in homes for the aged and serving punch at senior public-school graduations, to name a few. For many years, the Lionettes served monthly lunches to over 100 seniors, donated funds to the Town’s Halloween Party, collected new unwrapped toys, mitts and toques as Christmas donations for Pelham Cares and provided small blankets for Project Linus. The Lionettes also purchased eye glasses for many children and youth who could not afford them and purchased two Canine Vision Dogs. They raised funds to purchase many supplies for the kitchen at the Lions’ Hall, including an industrial mixer and a dishwasher. They also donated towards Hall renovations and purchased a new set of badly needed chairs.
Fundraisers were varied, including card parties, pie booths at the Lions’ Carnival, a “Miss Fonthill Lions Queen” Contest for nine years, fashion shows and craft, bake goods, poinsettias and Christmas cakes sales. Their three major fundraisers included catering the Fonthill Lions’ dinner meetings twice a month, selling turkey pies twice a year and hosting Teddy Bears Picnics to donate stuffed bears to emergency services.
Over the years, the Fonthill Lionettes avidly supported many other clubs and their events, including Fenwick Lioness Madd Hatter Tea Parties, Beamsville’s Hobo Nights, Stamford’s Bingos, Chippawa’s Palm Sunday Brunches, Port Colborne’s Witches Covents, Fall Rallies and International Friendship Conventions just to name a few.
The Fonthill Lionettes have been the backbone of the Fonthill Lions Club, and this community, for 55 years, always volunteering wherever and whenever their time was needed. The Fonthill Lions cannot thank these dedicated ladies enough for their unwavering support. Their valuable contributions will be sadly missed, but never forgotten.
For information about the Lionettes history, or to inquire about Fonthill Lions membership email fonthilllions@gmail.com.