Acton Lions Receive Check from Anonymous Donors – $6,500.00

To quote Winston Churchill: "I was not the lion, but it fell to me to give the lion's roar."

Many people with sympathetic hearts roared like lions when they heard someone stole a significant amount of money from the Acton Lions Club during NARA's Fourth of July celebration; money that was to be given to local charities and the Massachusetts Lions Eye Research Fund.

For a brief moment, Lions President, Steve Rubner, along with the rest of the Lions were in shock that someone would commit such an act. Brief, because once word got out that the money was stolen, people came out of the woodwork and out of the kindness of their hearts, matched the money that was stolen: $6,500.00.

"From your article [] WBZ picked up the story and contacted us," said Rubner. "From there, two anonymous donors heard what had happened and made a serious donation."

Aside from the two significant donations from the anonymous donors, many other people donated to the Acton Lions Club.

Because of the donations, the will be able to receive their annual $2,500 from the Lions for turkeys during the Thanksgiving season , and the Doli Atamian Campership Program will be able to fund 16 local kids to attend summer camp.

"Everyone was just really sad to hear the money was stolen, not just the loss of money but the fact that the Lions put in so much time to earn the money, to have it just taken from them like that doesn't make any sense at all," said Kathy Casaletto, Vice Chair of the Acton Food Pantry. "But it turned out to be a feel good story."

Betty McManus, President of the Doli Atamian Campership Program, for a moment, struggled with the idea of several Acton-Boxborough youths missing out on summer camp.

"The kids were in limbo when it happened," said McManus. "When we told them the money was donated and they were going to summer camp they were ecstatic and the parents, too."

This was the Lions first year at the , and minus the theft, had a seriously successful turnout. Though there is someone out there with a significant amount of stolen non-profit money, there are people out there with huge hearts...and deep wallets.

When asked if this incident would deter the Lions from raising money at next year's July Fourth celebration, Rubner laughed and said, "we are just going to have to hire a couple bouncers."