Gridley Lions Club members serve cold refreshments during a past Butte County Fair Junior Livestock Auction. From left are Groverlee Dahl, Mike Dahl and Vern Heartman. Photo by Seti Long

GRIDLEY, CA (MPG) - Although the Butte County Fair is a countywide event, the Gridley community turns out in force each year to support the fair and its local service organizations.

Three of Gridley’s long-standing nonprofit service groups include Lions International, Rotary International and Gridley Quota, a women’s service club formerly affiliated with Quota International. After the international organization disbanded, Gridley Quota formed its own nonprofit organization to continue its community service.

Each club has its own service mission. The Lions Club supports people with vision and diabetes-related needs, while Quota focuses on women and children in need and people with hearing disabilities. Rotary promotes community service locally and internationally, often taking on larger projects in the community.

Members of Lions, Rotary and Quota will be at the Butte County Fair this year, continuing their service while raising money to support their programs.

Lions and Rotary members operate a beer stand at the fair, which will serve six Feather Falls Brewing Co. beers on tap, according to Lions Club member Mike Dahl.

Dahl said the arrangement demonstrates how the organizations support not only the community but each other.

“We take turns getting the liquor license for the booths,” Dahl said, explaining that Lions and Rotary alternate each year, sharing the cost and logistics of setting up the booth and working with alcohol distributors.

“The fair gets about 40%, we get 60% and we split it 30-30, Lions-Rotary,” Dahl said.

The proceeds provide funding for both organizations’ community programs.

“Money earned from the sales goes toward scholarships for area students,” said Lisa Van De Hey, a member of Gridley Rotary.

Van De Hey also noted Rotary members recently volunteered at Manuel Vierra Park, where they painted and made improvements to baseball diamond backstops.

Gridley Quota members will continue another longtime fair tradition by distributing earplugs during grandstand events. The women in blue shirts bearing the organization’s “Q” hand out earplugs each year, particularly during the destruction derbies, where crashing metal and roaring engines can create high noise levels.

The service supports Quota’s mission of addressing hearing-related needs.

The Rotary and Lions beer booth will be open daily during the Butte County Fair and during the Junior Livestock Auction on Saturday, Aug. 29, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.