Archive: Around Town

Once a year the tables are turned on the members of the North Lansing Auxiliary -- instead of taking their posts in the community room in the North Lansing Fire Station, serving pancakes, coffee, dinners and suppers, they are themselves served at an annual dinner at the Sunset Restaurant in Auburn.  This year the dining room was full as Treasurer Connie Wilcox reviewed the year's accomplishments and presented awards to members who go above and beyond the call of duty when serving their community.

"The definition of community is service or service of volunteering by individuals or an organization to benefit a community," Wilcox said.  "Each and every one of you are defined by this definition.  No matter how much or how little you were involved, you all contribute in a very big way.  Each of you contributed to our successful pancake breakfasts, our election day Dinner and Supper, by working, or furnishing goods, or general support."


The auxiliary maintains the North Lansing Fire Station as well as raising money every year for a myriad of local causes.  As always, Election Day Dinner and Supper is the Auxiliary's largest fundraiser of the year.  Auxiliary volunteers served 225 dinners and 452 suppers for a total of 677 meals, earning a profit of $4,518.03.  It included $561 in donations.

"We sold 60 quarts of beet salad this year," Wilcox reported.  "Cutlery sales netted 735.  Don't think that we're going to do more than 60 quarts next year.  We increased it from 48 to 60.  You have no idea how many people call and reserve those.  We're usually sold out before supper even starts."

Wilcox said there are no scholarship recipients this year, but several Lansing seniors will be eligible next year.  To earn the $400 scholarship recipients must complete their first semester at a two or four year college in order to receive the money.   She reported on two former scholarship recipients.

"Taylor Mikula is attending Pace University, and maintaining a 4.0 average," she said.  "Emily Georgia is maintaining a 3.9 average at TC3.  We can be very proud of them and proud that they're from our community."

Wilcox thanked Jason and Tina Turek for produce donations of squash and cabbage for the Election Day Dinner and Supper, and pumpkins for Lansing Ag Day.  She thanked the Campbell family for picking the produce from the fields.  She also thanked 'noted celebrity' Santa Claus (aka Robbie Perkins).

"He's definitely the best Santa there is, and we appreciate what he does for us every year," she said.


A life membership award was given to Irene Tyrrell for her leadership of the North Lansing Auxiliary, which she changed from a ladies auxiliary to one in which men could also serve.  Bob and Suzanne Perkins also received life memberships for their many years of work on Auxiliary events.  An honorary life membership was awarded Pete Larson to for his long service in the Dinner and Supper kitchen.

Pancake breakfast profits for October to February were $6,807.13.  One of the breakfasts included the Students Against Destructive Decisions members to raise funds for their activities, which includes a drunk driving reenactment at the high school just before prom every few years.  The breakfast earned SADD a check for $881.  SADD Advisor Kevin Wyszkowski was recognized for his leadership and participation.

An additional pancake breakfast earned $1468 for the Lansing High School Boys Varsity Soccer Team.

The Auxiliary also provided gifts for a Salvation Army Christmas Family, to the tune of about $900.  It donated to food pantries and the Food Bank of the Southern Tier. 

Between 86% to 90% of profits go back to the community.  For one evening, at least, Auxiliary volunteers were in the dining room, not the kitchen, celebrating another great year.

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