The Strasburg Lions Club invites the community to attend its annual veterans' concert on Sunday, Aug. 7, at 7 p.m. The event will be held at its traditional location on the front lawn of the Strasburg Borough Office, 145 Precision Ave., Strasburg.

Bring a lawn chair and enjoy a shady reprieve from the August sun while the Lampeter-Strasburg Band performs various compositions to honor the community's veterans. The program will include selections such as "The Star-Spangled Banner" and a medley of songs representing the various branches of the military. Each year, veterans in attendance are recognized by the branch they served in and are asked to stand when the corresponding service song is played. The overarching theme for the music performed at the concert is patriotism; the primary goal is to honor and recognize those who have served in the military.

The veterans' concert has been a tradition in Strasburg for nearly 30 years and was originally operated and sponsored by the VFW. Once the VFW disbanded, the Strasburg Lions Club recognized the concert's importance to the community and stepped in to begin hosting it. This will be the seventh year the club has sponsored and organized the event.

Sponsoring the annual concert is only one of many endeavors for the Strasburg Lions Club. "The Lions Club is a service organization," said member and Strasburg Borough Mayor Bruce Ryder. "Our reason for getting together is to provide service to the community." The club raises funds by providing labor for events at the Strasburg Rail Road; the railroad then makes donations in exchange for the service. Another significant source of funding lies in the club's frequent pit beef sandwich and sub sales, which replaced the pancake breakfast. Money raised in this manner is used in various ways to serve and better the community, ranging from sponsoring scholarships for high school seniors to donating to several nonprofits such as local Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and VisionCorps. Last summer club members were tasked with constructing multiple handicapped-accessible ramps for residents throughout the town.

"Once the club took over the concerts, I volunteered to coordinate them," said Ryder. "My familiarity with the permits required and other prerequisites allows me to run things smoothly." Ryder said the best way for community members to support the club and all its projects is to participate in its sandwich sales and fundraising events.

For more information on the concert or Lions Club, contact Ryder at 717-687-8984.