Half a century helping, Tathra Lions invite community to birthday party

To mark and celebrate this milestone, Tathra Lions are having a 50th anniversary event at Taylor Square, Tathra, from 11am to 2pm on Sunday, February 11.

There will be a number of activities for the whole family including the ever popular dog high jump and vintage car displays, mystery bus tour showcasing 50 years of achievements, display tent, free face painting, free sausage sizzle, and music from Bega Brass Band.

Tathra Lions Club spokesman Rex Kermode, who joined in 1994, said it was very special to be part of the group, which dedicated all funds raised to not only help Tathra and surrounds, but also communities further afield like Northern Rivers during the floods.

"You can't go very far in Tathra without seeing something that the Tathra Lions have done," he said, "I am proud as punch to be a part of it."

In the club's first few years, it assisted in re-roofing Tathra Community Hall, helped to replace the tennis court fence at Tathra Public School, raised money for the Cyclone Tracy appeal in 1974, and facilitated the Lions Park in Mogareeka.

Among the list of achievements, both the Lions Clubs of Pambula-Merimbula and Tathra initiated and developed the Wharf to Wharf Walk in cooperation with Bega Valley Shire Council and NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, used by many exploring the coastline.

Tathra Lions helped after the 2018 Tathra Fires by dedicating every Tuesday for 12 months towards helping people during the cleanup process.

They have also helped South East Regional Hospital patients get back on their feet with the generous donation of four walkers, built the Tathra memorial gardens, helped renovate the War Memorial with Tathra Sunshine Club Boardriders, and in 1988 they fundraiser and planned the Lion Village, which was low-cost retirement housing in Haven Place with 20 units.

Mr Kermode said an event that stood out to him over the past half a century was the Pig Day Out, where eight squealing piglets wearing vests sparkling in golds, purples, blues and reds, fly around a course of tyres and hay bales in search for the sweet milk prize at the end.

"Probably the biggest thing, and it's been a terrific money raiser for us, has been the pig races. We first were going to try and hold that to just break square, just a community event, [but] we ended up making some money," Mr Kermode said.

"And so, that's an annual hoot for us.

"Everything we make, we have to it's in our charter, has to be passed on to the community in some fashion in some time."