August is Ross County Fair time, and the Chillicothe Evening Lions Club remains one of the community service organizations that continues to have a strong presence at the fair.
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The club's food booth is famous for the Lion Burger, which is a half-pound double hamburger with a three-slice bun stacked high with a secret sauce, cheese, pickles, lettuce, onion, and tomato and represents an icon for the club’s fund raising efforts.
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All proceeds from the Lions booth go to help numerous local, state, and international charities, several of which are tied to Lions philanthropic focus—eye sight conservation.
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One of the Lions Club’s most visible projects is the city-wide flag display. Many local businesses and organizations lease flags for display on eight national holidays. More than 600 flags can be seen throughout Chillicothe, making a strong patriotic statement for our area.
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The Lions also support college scholarships, a Cox Law Enforcement Scholarship, Ohio Diabetes Awareness, Kamp Dovetail, RCCADV (Domestic Violence), Seeds of Hope, Hope Clinic, Pony League and Mustang Ball Teams, and Pilot Dogs.
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The booth opens daily at 7:00 a.m. and serves breakfast until 11:00 a.m. Lunch and dinner menus not only feature the Lion Burger but also hamburgers, cheeseburgers, hot dogs, chicken tenders, pork tenderloins, BLT’s, fried bologna, and French fries.
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The club was chartered in 1924 and celebrated its 95th anniversary in June. Club members first served food at the fair in 1946, and a permanent booth was built two years later. The club has nearly 100 members and devotes more than 900 person hours to its booth during the fair.