Do you recall Power Toboggan Races and Potatoes?

 

April 2, 1963 was a historic evening in the Sportsman’s Room of the Reston Hotel.  Reston Lions Club was officially formed with Henry Claussen elected president. Sixteen members signed up that evening and the club soon grew with many more energetic Lions. They planned to meet the first and third Tuesday each month with one of those being a supper meeting. 

The Reston Lions Club was a very active group in Reston in the 60's and 70's.  Many projects were taken on by their crew of fundraisers and builders.  Mentioned previously in this blog include The Alstone Lodge, The Reston and District Museum, and the basement of the Reston Memorial Theatre.  They were instrumental in installing artificial ice in the rebuilt 1964 Rink now known as the Rec-Plex.  The Reston Lions playground on Main Street beside the bank was their centennial project in 1970.  It was at their push that got the Willowview personal care home started in the mid 1980’s. Tennis courts in the Park and Skeet Shooting at the fair grounds were supported financially.  An annual Seniors Christmas supper was another of their projects. Along with their projects, they are fondly remembered for their unique fundraisers starting with a dunk tank at the fair that first year of 1963.   

Power Toboggan Races were held for the first time northeast of Reston at Burton Berry's farm in 1969.  Ads reprinted below from the Reston Recorders online tell the story. Alex Watt was also advertised in the classifieds looking for a copper boiler to make coffee for the event.   

Profits from the day were pegged at $200 with 36 machines entered in 11 races. Three Sno-Sport machines were entered by the factory in Winnipeg and a number of Sno-Jet machines were shown by Art Belisle of Antler, SK who was a dealer for the machines. Classes included Children' 12 and under, Children 18 and under, Powder Puff (women drivers), classes by horsepower, open classes, Fat Man's race (?) and Cross Country.  Archive papers from 1970 indicate the race will not be held that year and may not ever be held again.  Hmmm - so many questions!

Reston Lions Club members were fundraisers were often ambitious and their potato crop was one that is well remembered. It was first tried in 1969 and the Recorder notes that thousands of pounds were grown in an area of just over 2 acres on 55 rows. It was a challenge initially when every family had their own idea for how the seed should be cut and the best way to tend the plants! Lions Club members and volunteers were assigned their own row or rows and competition took over to encourage the biggest harvest possible come October. All work was done by hand and shovel but as the fundraiser continued and grew, planting and harvesting machines were purchased by the club.  

Sometime in the past 20 years, the Reston Lions Club ceased to exist although some of the members joined the active clubs in Sinclair and Pipestone.  However, their mark was made and their contributions to the community are remembered!