CALEB NICKERSON
SHAWVILLE Dec. 4, 2019
St. Paul’s Anglican Church Hall in Shawville was packed with more than 100 people on Wednesday night for the . . .
annual Lionettes Christmas Cheer dinner.
The evening was a way to spread some holiday joy with people that might not have people to celebrate Christmas with, explained Lionettes Charter member Jane Hayes.
“The whole idea is that people that don’t have a lot of family, they were single, widowed or … just alone in life and didn’t have that many people around at Christmas, we thought it would be nice to cheer them up, so hence the Christmas Cheer dinner,” she said.
Hayes said that the event was maxed out at the hall’s capacity of 125, and there is a waiting list for next year. She added that in addition to all the turkey and sides, they always have live music, as well as a visit from Santa to cap off the evening. The event started a few years after the Lionettes were chartered in 1972, and has become a holiday staple in the region.
“It has grown over the years,” she said. “It’s a well received evening and they look forward to it.”
