The Antioch Lions Club has made two significant donations to aid first responders in the Antioch community. The donations will be used to help fund protective equipment for Antioch Police officers and provide training equipment for the Antioch Fire Protection District. Lions Club president Kevin Fielder presented Antioch Police Chief Geoff Guttschow and Antioch Fire Protection District Battalion Chief Ryan Keefe each with $10,000 checks at a ceremony in October.
Police Chief Guttschow says the police department will use the funds to help his goal of equipping each Antioch Police squad car with a ballistic shield for the officers. The shields will help significantly in officer response to dangerous situations, making it possible for them to arrive faster, and more safely.
“I am thankful to the Lions Club for the generous donation,” said Chief Guttschow. “Our department currently has one shield that is several years old. With this donation, we will purchase seven more, in addition to two that we’ve already ordered, which will give us a total of ten. This provides critical protection for our officers.
Antioch Lions Club president Kevin Fielder says several successful fundraising events for the club made it possible to fund the local donations.
“In addition to national initiatives for sight, hearing, and diabetes, we contribute locally,” said Fielder. “Our organization wanted to find the best place to give money back to the community. The obvious first choices were the Antioch Police Department and Antioch Fire Protection District. Without their help, our club would not be able to put on the events that we do in our community. Our goal was to provide funding for non-budgeted “wish list” items.”
Antioch Mayor Scott Gartner, who is also a member of the Antioch Lions Club, says the impact of the donations to the community is what drives Lions Club members to volunteer their time.
“This is what it is all about,” said Mayor Gartner. “The fundraising efforts of the Lions Club and the generosity of our neighbors are making a substantial impact in making our community better.”
Fielder says the Antioch Lions Club is moving forward with more fundraising projects, “with a finger on the pulse of the needs of our community.”
