Bushy Run Lions Club to host chicken barbecue dinner

After being canceled this spring due to coronavirus, the Bushy Run Lions Club is hosting its annual chicken barbecue dinner.

The event is scheduled for Sept. 27 at the Bushy Run Lions Community building in Claridge. Dinners will be served from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., or until sell-out. Boy Scouts from Troop 239 and Girl Scouts from BSA Troop 1239 will assist at the event.

“We wanted to keep this going so we can try to meet our budget for the next coming year,” said club President Buddy Tanyer.

According to Tanyer, the club is able to donate $30,000 per year to various organizations. About $4,000 is raised during a barbecue dinner.

Precautions are being taken in preparing and serving meals, Lions member John Forringer said. Meals must be to-go, either by take-out or drive-thru service.

Meals include half a barbecued chicken, a roll, apple sauce and a drink.

Typically, another chicken barbecue dinner is held in April, according to the Lions Club website. Other fundraisers held throughout the year include a broom sale, a night at the races, a pancake breakfast and various raffles for Pittsburgh Penguins’ tickets, gun raffles and cash tickets.

Club members are looking at other fundraisers to make up for the April dinner.

Tickets for the dinner are $10 and can be purchased from any Lions member or by calling 724-757-9959 or 724-744-2028. A limited number of tickets will be available at the door.

“It’s hard to anticipate turnouts because people are not working still, so we’re just trying to get ourselves together here and try to meet our goals,” Tanyer said. “That’s what Lions do, we raise money to give it away.”