Archive: Around Town

The North Lansing Auxiliary gathered at Auburn's Sunset Restaurant Saturday to celebrate a year of outstanding accomplishments, raising money to benefit the Lansing community.  This year's dinner was a bitter-sweet affair, awarding five scholarships, honoring outgoing Highway Superintendent Jack French, and remembering Ed Wilcox, who unexpectedly passed away in January.  But the tone was upbeat.

"We appreciate all of you being here and it is our way of thanking each and everyone of you in this room for your support," said Auxiliary Treasurer Connie Wilcox.  "No matter how much or how little you are involved, if not for all of you, we would not be enjoying this pleasant evening, each of you contribute to our successful Pancake Breakfasts or our annual Election Day Dinner and Supper whether it is by working, furnishing goods or just general support.  I would like to say huge thank you to all of you, who always seem to be there and that is everyone in this room."




The North Lansing Auxiliary maintains the North Lansing Fire Station as well as raising money every year for a myriad of local causes.  Volunteers served 208 dinners and 332 suppers, raising $2887.31.  The Auxiliary spent $1197 on gifts and food for a Salvation Army Christmas family that included seven children under age 12.  Donations were also made to the Genoa and Lansing Food Pantries and the Foodbank of the Southern Tier.  In March a Pancake breakfast raised $1327.29 for SADD and the Lansing High School After-Prom Party.  After expenses, about 90% every dollar raised goes back into the community. 

In addition five $400 scholarships were awarded to Lansing seniors.  Recipients must complete their first semester at a two or four year college in order to receive the money.  This year's recipients are Mattie Arcangeli, Brandon and Owen Davis, Shane Hradisky, and Logan Osterman.


Arcangeli plans to attend either Cayuga Onondaga BOCES or OCM BOCES Cortland to become a Certified Nursing Assistant.  Brandon Davis will be studying Electrical Engineering and Owen Davis will be studying Sports Management, both at Alfred State.  Hradisky will attend Monroe Community College in the fall, majoring in Business Administration, and hopes to transfer to Cornell University in his junior year.  Osterman plans to study liberal arts at TC3.

Wilcox recognized a number of community members for specific donations of time or money.  This year French was singled out for special recognition.  French has served the Town of Lansing for 38 years.  He has been Highway Superintendent for the past 15, and plans to retire at the end of 2015.  French is a long-time Lansing Lion as well as a frequent participant in North Lansing Auxiliary events, especially the Election Day Dinner and Supper.


"Jack has done a superior job and this will end one chapter in his life and start another," said Wilcox.  "However Jack, we still expect you to be part of our election day you can’t head south until after election, because we definitely can’t do it without you."

Wilcox also paid tribute to her late husband Ed, an active volunteer who played a big part in Auxiliary events.

"This banquet was one of the things he looked most forward to every year," she said.  "He loved it and all of you.  He enjoyed doing the breakfasts and the Election day dinner and supper. He and Pete would spend the day catching up, because that was about the only time they saw each other and could talk.  At the breakfasts he would mumble and grumble but didn’t mean a word of it.  He was a big part of our organization, I think constantly how will we fill that void, who will do all the things he did to prepare for election day, but I have faith someone will step up to help."

The North Lansing Auxiliary has officially existed for 55 years, the fundraising they do extends well beyond that when the group was affiliated with the North Lansing Grange Hall, which was closed half a century ago.  Even before the group was formed an informal group of volunteers raised money for local causes there since over 75 years ago.

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