Roger Dwyer wasn’t hard to recruit. A few years ago, a friend came into Mr. Dwyer’s All State office and asked if he would like to join the Lions Club. It was an easy sale. Mr. Dwyer said “yes,” and no other encouragement was needed.
The newcomer was soon steeped in the organization’s philosophy. “We work very hard to make money,” he said recently, “so we can give it away.” Examples of working hard include hosting an annual race in November and selling wreaths and roping on the weekends after Thanksgiving.
As Mr. Dwyer quickly learned, the proceeds from these events don’t stay with the club for very long. They get circulated into the community in a variety of ways. The Lions’ website explains that the club supports the following causes:
-Lions College Scholarships for local high school students
-Christmas gifting for needful families
-BFF Program – backpacks for food for school children
-Purchase of vision screening machine for children
-Donations to two local eye/vision foundations
-Support of Black Rock Forest Consortium Summer Science Camp Scholarship
-Cornwall Historical Society
-The Food Bank of the Hudson Valley
-The Highland [Fire] Engine and Storm King [Fire] Engine Companies.
When Mr. Dwyer joined the organization, he introduced a new source of revenue. He applied to his employer, and three times in a row the insurance company said “yes.”
On each occasion, the Allstate Foundation issued a check for $5,000 to support the Lions Club outreach. The rationale isn’t hard to understand.
The foundation encourages employees and agency owners to get involved in their communities. “Weekly volunteering…creates happiness levels,” a company publication claims. “Most of all, it builds stronger communities by connecting individuals to something greater.”
Mr. Dwyer worked in several capacities in the insurance industry, before opening his agency at 357 Windsor Highway 20 years ago. On Nov. 18, his fellow club members came through the door to accept a ceremonial oversized check. After a round of picture taking, Mr. Dwyer shared some information that his colleagues may have overlooked. “The writing on the check can be erased,” he said. “So we might get to use it again.”
