By Al Benson
Jay Short is a do-it-yourselfer.
The Aurora Noon Lions Club member looked at a rack displaying Lions’ brooms for sale and decided it could be better.
Working at home this year, he spent 10 hours modifying a rack he inherited.
In addition to brooms, the rack features five brochure holders and room for three event flyers.
He made the debut of the rack at the Club’s July 20 membership meeting at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Aurora.
But, it’s a work in progress. “I’ll probably spend another two hours finishing it up,” he said.
Short said plans to unveil the rack to the public at an upcoming Summer farmer’s market in downtown Aurora. At the market, Lions’ brooms are available at Dick’s Mini Donuts food truck, courtesy of Dick Schindel, a Noon Lions member. Brooms are available at Fox Metro Water Reclamation District, 682 Route 31, in Oswego.
Brooms available include a children’s model, $6; kitchen model, $11; corn model, $13; push broom (fine), $15; and push broom (HD), $14. A dust pan with 60-in. handle is $12. Brooms are made by O’Cedar in Paxton, Ill.
Lions Clubs nationwide started selling brooms as fundraisers after World War II. Sales were suspended in the 1970s.
Aurora Noon Lions began selling brooms door to door in Aurora in the 1960s to benefit Lions vision- and hearing-conservation programs for youth and adults prior to suspension of sales.
Noon Lions past president Jerry Spirk of Morris, revived broom sales by the Aurora Club in 2012 after a half-century hiatus from the 1960s.
Susan Koepke, Aurora Noon Lions president, said, “Selling items that people need, such as brooms, plus items that people crave, such as candy, pancake breakfasts, and pasta and pizza dinners, has been a staple of Lions’ fundraising efforts for decades.”
Celebrating its second century of service, Aurora Noon Lions Club meets on first and third Thursdays at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, 27 S. Edgelawn Drive in Aurora.
Prospective members interested in community service are invited to visit the meetings. Visit
auroranoonlions.org for more information.