Red Bucket donations for a good cause

It’s a sunny Saturday morning and Robert Lyons is standing in the middle of Main Street in Superior, holding a red bucket.  He’s a volunteer with the Lions Club and is hoping cars will stop and make a donation.  

“This is my fourth or fifth year of doing this,” said Lyons, “I come out for about three hours at a time, I can’t stand for much longer than that.”

A pickup stops and drops a few dollars in his bucket and Lyons thanks him and waves as he pulls away.  Other cars pass by and don’t stop, “a lot of them have already donated,” he explains, “it’s starting to slow down now.”  It’s about noon, and the little town of Superior is busy with several craft shows and activities taking place around town.   

Funds raised are used to buy gifts for families who need a helping hand over the holidays.  Lyons is in charge of the ‘giving’ trees that are set up in businesses around town.  Cards are put on the tree with information about a family.  It will list the number and ages of the children and what they want for Christmas.  People then pull a card off the tree, and donate those items to the family.

“The money I raise is primarily used to buy gifts for teenagers.  They are a little harder to buy for and we don’t usually get gifts donated for them,” he said.

He buys things like bath soaps, aftershave, nail polish, items a teenager would use.  Lyons said that he doesn’t mind collecting the money, “it goes to a good cause.”