The Mapleton Lions Club started the annual holiday season earlier this year than any previous year on Saturday, Nov. 15. Lions club members hung and lit the Mapleton Main Street holiday lights.
For all but one of the 30 years the Mapleton Lions Club held to hanging and lighting the lights starting on Thanksgiving weekend and taking them down the weekend after New Year’s Day. After some discussion during club meetings, the decision was not to hang them before Halloween but shortly after Halloween.
(Courtesy of Terry Sandusky)
Many retailers and businesses have begun their Christmas shopping season at the end of September, and the club’s members decided this way too soon. The decision was many to hang the lights on Nov. 15, when the two bucket trucks and club’s work crews would be available.
By hanging them earlier, the club was able to avoid the Thanksgiving weekend rush of family activities and shopping as well as hang them during warmer and less snowy weather.
The club has 48 lights that stretch over a mile through downtown Mapleton. Last year the Club reached maximum distance the club could light on the North side of Main Street. The cost of the holiday lighting project was just under $50,000. The purchase cost of the lights was approximately 60 percent of the total cost with the remaining 35 percent needed for receptacle boxes connected to the Versant power lines, connection costs and repair and maintenance cost.
(Courtesy of Terry Sandusky)
Now the Club even with very successful fundraising projects could not undertake replacing their homemade lights with new energy efficient and highly visible commercially produced lights. However, good friends to the Mapleton Lions Club, Jeff Clark and Elizabeth McHatten, who understood commercial street and business sign lighting, guided the club in the selection and purchase of the best lights for Mapleton.
They proceeded to help implement a community fundraising effort to purchase the lights. Together Greg, Liz and the Club led created a Tri-Town Holiday Lighting Committee. Their idea was a simple one; just ask families and individuals to consider buying a light in remembrance of someone special in their families. The Mapleton Lions were a little pessimistic and thought that maybe 10 or 12 lights might be funded through these sponsorships and dedications.
They helped arrange for the purchase of the first 23 LED lights. They then led the original fundraising solicitations to purchase the lights. Because of the substantial higher cost of the lights, a plan was put in place that would be carried out over two years of fundraising with the Mapleton Lions investing in the project by providing funds for the purchase and hanging of the first twelve lights in 2022, and then they would add 11 lights in 2023.
(Courtesy of Terry Sandusky)
To start the fundraising, the Mapleton Lions Club decided to seed the higher cost of the lights by investing in the first six lights of the total 23 lights that would be purchased to replace the older lights used over the prior six years.
In June, just prior to Mapleton Daze 2022, the first six lights arrived and were made available for viewing. As soon as families and businesses saw the lights, the light sponsorships began flooding into the committee. Surprisingly, people and businesses were pleased to support the new lighting purchase and by early November enough donations had been received so all of the new replacement lights could be purchased. What an unexpected surprise to everyone as the donations continued pouring in. As some might say, the lights sold like “gangbusters.”
After the 2023 and 2024 holiday seasons, 48 lights have been sponsored and dedicated including the original group of lights originally bought by the Mapleton Lions to start the project. Yet every month, there is one or more inquiries that come in asking about sponsoring a light.
This year the club discovered a miscount in sponsorships and one light was not yet sponsored. The Mapleton Lions Club decided to purchase the light and dedicate it to memory of Mapleton Lion Dennis Hoffses, who passed away a few weeks ago. Lion Dennis represented the heart and soul of the Mapleton Lions Club, because of love and concern for our community. He led the club to live by the slogan, “Work hard, and give back.”
This year’s lighting crew consisted of the distribution crew of Lions Lloyd Archer, Ron Leonard, Ron Pelletier, Rick Fowler and Dennis Turner, along with hanging crews, Lions Michael Clark, Matt McCartney, Rick Fowler, Bruce Guerrette and Phil Cote. Additional thanks goes to Haines Manufacturing that helped with upgrades of the light distribution trailer and the two businesses that loaned bucket trucks to help with the light installations.
The Club thanks the Town of Mapleton for covering the cost of the electricity used by the lights through the holiday season.
The holiday lights will remain up until at least the first Sunday after New Year’s Day and will come down in mid-January on a good weather day. The Mapleton Lions Club hopes everyone who sees the lights will enjoy them and will have their spirits lifted during these special days
The club will mount a large plaque on the front of the Mapleton Lions Hall that details the dedication and sponsorship of each of the holiday lights. Also the pole number will be noted so people can view the light for each dedication. The Club plans for this plaque to be mounted before or shortly after Thanksgiving.
Donations are accepted hould anyone wish to help support the ongoing maintenance and operation of the lights. Contact Lion Steve Hanning at 551-6538 or Lion Ron Leonard at 551-0071.
(Courtesy of Terry Sandusky)
Breakfast a success
The Mapleton Daze Committee thanks everyone who came out Saturday morning November 8th for their 3rd Annual Hunter’s Breakfast. They fed over 85 people, which is the largest number attending their breakfast in its three years of existence. The winner of their treasure basket drawing was: Lillian Kidney. Again – the support of the community coming out to breakfast is a real support for Mapleton Daze 2026.
Change in hall rental
Due to the untimely passing of Lion Dennis Hoffses, who had served for many years as the Mapleton Lions Hall manager, a change in hall rental contact has been made.
For individuals, businesses or groups wishing to rent the Mapleton Lions Hall, please call Rick or Theresa Fowler at 554-6605 or email at tmkeenanfowler@gmail.com. They are now responsible for scheduling the rental of the hall. Potential hall renters may contact them to find out about the availability of the hall and the charge for renting the hall.
Terry Sandusky is the Star-Herald correspondent for Mapleton, Chapman and Castle Hill and can be reached at 764-4916 or at starherald.Tsandusky@gmail.com.
