Butler’s receive well-deserved award from Lions Club

Kasson-Mantorville Lions Club is a local service club that puts words into action. It's a club that has had impact on Kasson parks, recreation areas and displaying Old Glory on U.S. holidays. At the September meeting of the KM Lions, a prestigious award was presented to two individuals who made donations to the club.

KM Lions President Ryan Berghuis presented the Helen Keller Sight Award to Ed and Tina Butler. (Helen Keller’s role in the Lions occurred at the Lions International Convention when the blind woman appealed to the group to be Knights for the Blind.)

Butlers, former owners of 121 West Main Street, our old office digs were known for their quiet generosity.

Butlers contributed all proceeds to the local Lions from the sale of metal shelving, appliances, other forms of scrap iron and the sale of videos from their former businesses at that location.

While the DCI occupied 121 West Main for five years it was during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ed stopped by the office to offer this town’s small newspaper a deferment of rent payments for a couple of months

It was a welcome breather at a time when most area businesses were struggling.

As the DCI lease ran out at the end of the year, it was Ed and Tina's generosity that helped us during our transition.

The Butler’s approached me about settling payment on the deferment they did not want the money owed to them for the deferred rent to be paid to them, but it was to be donated, where else but to the KM Lions Club.

It was to be designated for construction of pickle and basketball courts at Lions Park.

I walked over to the park to deliver the check to a group of Lions who were on hand that day for the groundbreaking of the courts and informed the person I handed the check to that this was a gift from the Butlers, not the DCI.

It’s people like Ed and Tina who make our small community a place where people want to raise their families and growth their businesses.

Thank you, Ed and Tina for your generosity to our community.

HONOR

Public shows of honor are pleasant, but private ones are pleasanter, because they are above suspicion. Honor knows no statute of limitations.

Mark Twain