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Date: 5/24/2019
WEST SPRINGFIELD – On June 16, from 8 to 11 a.m., the West Springfield Lions are celebrating the life of one of their own at the Ed Smart Memorial Father’s Day Breakfast.
The breakfast is fundraiser by the Lions, who hope to raise money through the event for a scholarship in Smart’s name.
Smart was a member of the West Springfield Lions Club for more than 40 years. He was in his late seventies when died of cancer in early 2019.
“[Smart] was one of the most generous men you've ever met in your whole life,” said John Sullivan, a member of the Lions who is spearheading the breakfast, adding that he always asked people about themselves, no matter what was going on in his own life.
“He was my Cub Scout leader when I was a boy,” Sullivan said of Smart. He “dedicated his life to the organization and to his community,” the Lions stated on the fundraiser’s Facebook.
Sullivan said they are hoping 50 to 100 people come out to the breakfast, where Smart’s wife and children will be cooking.
There will be raffle prizes at the event, including a round of golf for two followed by lunch at the Springfield Country Club, two pallet flags created by Sullivan’s brother-in-law, gift cards, and gift baskets.
With the money they raise from the breakfast, they will establish a scholarship in Smart’s name. The scholarship will be awarded to a child or grandchild of a United States military member.
The scholarship criteria will be similar to those funded by the Lion’s Park of Heroes event, in which people sponsor a flag with the name of a veteran that is placed on the West Springfield Common in November. This year they will be giving 15 scholarships of $750 each.
Sullivan said Smart was a veteran and the Park of Heroes scholarships were important to him.
The fundraiser will be at the “Lion's Den” at the Eastern States Exposition Fairground. Tickets to the event are $6, or $3 for children under 3 years of age. Advanced tickets or donations can be made at Spaeth Property Services, 177 Norman St., West Springfield or at 739–7219. Tickets are also available at the door.