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Date: 11/22/2021
NORTHAMPTON – The Northampton Lions Club is once again hosting their historic Ski & Skate sale at Smith Vocational High School on Dec. 4.
The sale, which began back in 1960, is one of the biggest fundraising events in the Lions Club history and usually occurs on the first Saturday of December.
According to Mark Moggio, the immediate past president of the Lions Club, the event has never been postponed-even during the heart of the pandemic in 2020, where the Lions Club and the city’s Health Department worked together to create specific protocols for the sale to keep everyone safe. “It’s our main source of our fundraising,” said Moggio. “It’s amazing how long it has been going on.”
Each year, the Lions Club raises about $20,000-$30,000 from the fundraiser, with most of the money funding a myriad of programs and organizations throughout the community. According to Moggio, the money specifically goes toward local eye and ear research, Northampton schools and PTOs, the Dollars for Scholars organization, as well as to Cancer Connection on Locust Avenue.
People can donate skis and skates the night before the event at Smith Vocational between 4 and 6 p.m., but Moggio said that to maintain cleanliness in the wake of the pandemic, the Lions Club is also allowing people to donate items before the donation day. They are also offering to pick up items from people who want to donate them.
“We accept donations throughout the year,” said Moggio. “We’re trying to promote that more these days given that we want to make sure that we clean things thoroughly before they’re put up for sale.”
The organization also works with a vendor that brings in brand new equipment for sale at discounted prices. Items from the vendor include snowshoes, downhill skis, cross country skis, brand new and used skates, new and used skis, mittens and hats. Moggio also added that coats may once again be up for sale after being absent in 2020 due to the pandemic, but that has not been confirmed yet.
“It’s quite a sale,” said Moggio. “People seem to enjoy it, and they’ve come back generations…It’s pretty neat…we hope to have a great turnout again this year.”
When speaking on the importance of the fundraiser and how it intertwines with the club’s mission, Moggio said that it is important to note the monetary and physical value of the organization within the city of Northampton. “We’re a hands-on group,” said Moggio. “We like to get out to the community and do work. We work well with the city.”
The Northampton Lions Club has been serving the community since 1936. They have contributed over $1.5 million to multiple projects and charitable organizations and continues to make major contributions to the Massachusetts Lion Eye Research Fund, Lions District 33Y Emergency Sight & Hearing Fund, and the Lions District 33Y EyeMobile. They have also contributed to the Lions Club International Foundation, and collected thousands of eyeglasses to be sent to third world countries.
The club is always looking for new members, and if anyone has any questions about the organization, they can email at northamptonlions1936@gmail.com.