Annual donations benefit families from surrounding communities

By Robert Williams

Editor

The 4-Corners Lions Club teamed up with the Miss Frazee Scholarship Organization’s annual Christmas Toy Drive collecting nearly $1,000 in cash donations and gifts for children and families in need this holiday season.  ¶  The Toy Drive’s was a big success and a quick one as all of the toys and cash donations were collected in two weeks running from Dec. 1-14.  ¶  The 4-Corners club is the youngest in the region having formed in May of 2020.  ¶  The club received a big response from the community dropping off new and unwrapped toys and gifts, along with clothes, books and crafts.  ¶  With 4-Corners not being officially attached to a town, the club utilized drop boxes at participating businesses in Frazee at: The Monarch Coffee House; United Community Bank; Frazee Family Foods; The Yak Shack and Dollar General.

There were also drop boxes at Lakes Corner Liquors, and Four Corners Convenience Store, along with Charlie’s Place.

The latter used a drink special of a free beverage in exchange for a donated gift.

“That really generated a lot,” said 4-Corners Lions member Debra Sundet.

Combining with the Miss Frazee Organization was beneficial this year in that last year’s haul was 2-3 boxes of toys, according to Sundet, and this  year’s donations filled nine boxes and two large bags. 

There were also businesses and individuals who donated cash and one anonymous donor collects a stuffed toy every month and donates a dozen toys to the collection at the end of the year.

Despite being a relatively new club with membership around 24 individuals, the 4-Corners Lions make the most out of what they have.

At this year’s fourth annual Trunk or Treat held at Lakes Corner Liquors, the three-hour event served 585 kids, while giving away 500 hot dogs and collecting non-perishable food items to donate to the food pantry in Detroit Lakes.

The club hosts an annual Fourth of July boat parade and is also heavily involved in the annual Veteran’s Appreciation Dinner and Quilts of Valor ceremony at the Frazee Event Center each November.

The 4-Corners Lions Club got its start when Debra and Neal Sundet built their home in Rochert four years ago. 

“We were already friends with Jon and Lucy Sabo and they said, ‘Let’s start a Lion’s Club,’ so we did that,” said Debra.

Right from the start, they made an impact on Frazee-Vergas schools, running the annual Craft and Vendor Show at the elementary school, donating $500 for school supplies each year and running winter clothes drives, as well.

The club originally was named the Erie Township 4-Corners Lions, but the township name was dropped to not limit those who would want to join. The original members were not Lions members from former organizations. The Lions Organization fit the desires of the forming group in wanting to put neighbors and communities first and helping those in need. 

“We have a group of good friends and that makes a difference,” said member Denise Cox.

They are currently operating out of the Sundet’s garage, where they hold their meetings.

“We’re just trying to do things for the community and get people out,” Sundet said.

The group is hoping to move meetings to The Fishbowl when it opens. The former Curley’s on Cotton Lake building has been gutted and is being renovated.

Keep track of upcoming events sponsored by the Club by searching 4-Corners Lions on Facebook.