Kings Lions Club puts on a show Saturday night as 1,400 enjoy good music, food

The partygoers enjoyed perfect evening weather, considering that only a few days prior to Saturday night’s event, searing temperatures were hovering near the 110-degree mark. But with a cooperating sun, and of course a variety of beers – all sponsored by Budweiser - good food, courtesy of local clubs and eating establishments, and of course a little dancing to the Marie Wilson Band, you had the makings of a fantastic party.

The best part? Several local organizations were beneficiaries of the Kings Lions Club largess, and in addition to good food and fun, a few worthy causes departed the Brewfest with hefty checks for their particular need.

The Naval Aviator Memorial, to be constructed at the Operations Area on NAS Lemoore, and which memorializes pilot who lost their lives, received $2,000 from the Kings Lions. The additional funding will help the organizers of the Memorial get closer to their funding goal.

The Sarah Mooney Museum also earned a $2,000 check Saturday night as did a local branch of Badge of Brothers that helps law enforcement officers with a variety of issues, such as surviving members of a fallen officer.

Lions Club Events Coordinator Ray Etchegoin, who along with President Jeff Garcia and others in the Kings Lions Club were obviously pleased with Saturday night’s event. “I’m kind of surprised somewhat at the outcome. We didn’t know, being a new club and being in a new venue, we weren’t sure what was going to happen here,” he mused. “We were competing with the Kings Fair and some other things, I was a little surprised we ended up selling out this week and we got this great crowd.”

The Kings Lions sold nearly 1,400 tickets and it appeared that there may have been a few more than that in the park. But Etchegoin and club members were pleased with what they are able to do with the proceeds. “We gave $2,000 to the Aviators Memorial Fund which they are building out at the Lemoore Naval Air Station for fallen pilots who had been stationed in Lemoore,” he said. “We felt we had to be part of that because the Navy has done so much for this community.”

Etchegoin was particularly pleased with the contribution to the museum. “That’s a group that we’ve wanted to help out for a long while,” he said. “I think once we got on our feet as a new club that was one of our priorities to start helping out the Sarah Mooney Museum.”

The Lions also liked their new venue. “I think it’s great,” said Etchegoin. The openness of it was great. Next year the accessibility will be even better.”