Nearly 200 area residents received an early Christmas present two Saturdays ago in the form of a wonderful basket of goodies courtesy of the Clear Lake Lions Club and McDonald’s Meats.

The club does many charitable projects throughout the year, but the Christmas basket tradition is near the top of the list for the joy and blessings it brings to many residents in the Becker and Clear Lake area.

Lions member Al Fahsl has served as the chair of the event for the past six or seven years, and he has little trouble getting club volunteers to help with the good-will gesture.

From residents of area assisted living facilities, to senior citizens living on their own, the Lions aim to bring Christmas cheer in the form of a basket that is loaded with tasty treats.  From fruit to nuts, and chips to cookies, the basket puts a smile on the faces of the recipients who look forward to the yearly tradition.

However, it’s the tasty meat and cheese from McDonald’s Meats that puts the experience over the top.  

Tradition

The tradition dates back over 30 years, to when current McDonald’s Meats co-owner Jennifer Dierkes was in high school and working at the store.

Back then, around 50 gifts were prepared by a handful of members of the Lions Club. They were basically a tray of goodies that needed to be over-wrapped to keep the items in place.

Dierkes happened to be working one year when the guys from the club needed help with the overwrap machine, so she stepped in to help with the project.

From then on, Dierkes was scheduled to work on the day the baskets were put together and it became a tradition that continues to grow for decades.

Last Friday, she stopped by Felix and Rose Schmiesing’s house to see the impressive assembly line and workers who were preparing nearly 200 baskets.

“We did this for many years at the store, but there’s a lot more participation now,” Dierkes commented, as she marveled at how much the project has grown since those early years.

Christmas cheer

Fahsl said that they don’t have a specific set of criteria for who receives the baskets, but they like to focus on the elderly or someone who perhaps suffered a loss in the year prior.

Each year, he prepares the list, complete with addresses so the Lions delivery volunteers can ensure the baskets find their way to the correct homes.  

There is no official sign-up list, but rather just word of mouth advertising that leads to hundreds of happy recipients.

Two Saturdays ago, the baskets were delivered to the lucky souls with a simple message: “Merry Christmas from the Clear Lake Lions.”

A wonderful tradition that has endured for over three decades.