caption:
Serving
A competitor in the annual Putnam Lions Volleyball Challenge fund-raiser, gets ready to send one over the net Feb. 6. Linda Lemmon photo.



Serious fun,
serious fund
raising
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
POMFRET --- Despite tightened wallets there was nothing constrained about the outpouring of donations --- and competition during the 11th annual Putnam Lions Volleyball Challenge.
In its 11th consecutive year, the competition is a major fund-raiser for the Lions Club, according to Barbara Chubbuck, club president. "It's just phenomenal," said Chubbuck and the event couldn't happen without the dedication and hard work of the club members.
Bernie Gilbert, challenge committee chairman, said the event draws corporate and team donations and this year's total is likely to surpass last year's. Last year the club pulled in $12,800 in profit which was passed on to a very long list of organizations and community projects. The challenge is in its 11th consecutive year, but Gilbert said the competition is many more years older than that.
Player Steven Iwanski has been coming to the competition with a bunch of friends for 11 years. "We were all playing since around 18 years old and we played wherever we could." Many of the players come from the now defunct Thompson leagues and the players are very serious. Serious, yes, but Iwanski said his friends always enjoy the "friendly" competition and "it's for a very good cause." How's the level of competition this year? Iwanski said "It's the best ever this year."
Lion Joe Vaccariello said players are "very serious" on the Saturday challenge and "more like backyard" on the Sunday segment.

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