The Wakefield and Quarryville Lions clubs will host a Veterans Day banquet on Friday, Nov. 11, at 6:30 p.m. in the Family Life Center at Chestnut Level Presbyterian Church, 1068 Chestnut Level Road, Quarryville. The banquet is open to all veterans and their guests and will include a free meal and a guest speaker. To register, contact Gerald Wagner at 717-786-2195 or Joe McMullen at 717-786-8060.

After a short hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the banquet returned last year. "We had a lower turnout last year, which we attribute to the pandemic," said Wagner. "I think people are anxious to get back to normal." After the meal, retired naval academy officer Cmdr. Cindy Abbadini will speak at the banquet. Each banquet traditionally features a guest speaker; in the past, it has hosted Dick Hoxworth, a longtime newscaster for WGAL.

The veterans' banquet is a tradition started by the Quarryville Lions Club to show the community's appreciation for its veterans and has grown from 30 attendees in its first year to nearly 200 in recent years. As the banquet grew, the Quarryville Lions Club enlisted the help of the Wakefield Lions Club to accommodate the event's size.

The Wakefield Lions Club stemmed from the Quarryville branch several years ago and split off to house the many new members of the organization more adequately. At the time, the mother organization in Chicago encouraged groups to divide to keep Lions Clubs localized. The Quarryville Lions Club sponsored the new Wakefield branch, and the two alternated hosting their own meetings twice a month.

"We try to support the community in any way we can," said Wagner. The Quarryville Lions Club offers sponsorships and fundraising for many local organizations and events, including the Miss Solanco pageant and library book sales. Its largest fundraiser of the year is at the Solanco Fair, where the club sells french fries to raise funds for both itself and the Wakefield club. Four years ago, the club began hosting a pork and sauerkraut dinner on New Year's Day in conjunction with the youth group of Memorial United Methodist Church. In December, the club will sponsor a Christmas event for Quarryville Borough.