Saratoga Springs Lions Club Celebrates 100 Years
Speakers and honorees at the 100th anniversary of the Lions clubs of Saratoga Springs and Albany & Troy included Saratoga Lions President Tom Boghosian, speaker and former Lions Club International Director Gary Brown, Barb Brown, and Barbara Bentley. Photo provided.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Two Lions clubs — Saratoga Springs and Albany & Troy — came together to celebrate their 100th anniversaries on Oct. 11 with a dinner for about 200 people at the Gideon Putnam Hotel.
The night included a roaring ‘20s theme replete with period dress, antique cars, a dixieland jazz band, and a speakeasy feel to the night’s event.
Keller Johnson, the great-grand niece of Helen Keller, spoke at the event. In 1925, Keller challenged the Lions clubs to be the “Knights of the Blind,” a tradition the clubs carry on today.
Jerry Gordon, a Capital District jazz advocate and president of the Albany & Troy combined Lions club, called the party “a good evening” and said that it was a nice way to celebrate service to the community. While calling it clichéd, he added, “We’re looking forward to the next 100 years of serving our communities.”