HIAWASSEE, Ga. – The Towns County Lions Club has been serving the community since their inception in 1940. Lions Club International is known for their yellow vests and their generosity in serving the blind and visually impaired. Locally, they are also known for their involvement in the Georgia Mountain Fair as well as their funnel cake booth. With nearly 80 years of community service in Towns County, their latest service project may be a first.

Hiawassee Police Chief Paul Smith was contacted by the Towns County Lions Club last month with the offer to help locate a vehicle for the department. “I explained that while we were in need of a newer vehicle, the department’s budget did not allow for the purchase of one this year. However, we began looking at what was available in the area,” said Chief Smith. Several used Dodge Chargers were available at Jacky Jones in Hayesville. The vehicles had been traded in by a North Carolina police agency, and still had most of the necessary equipment installed, including the prisoner partition, siren, and emergency blue lights.

Hiawassee Police Department’s new addition

After inspecting and test driving the vehicles with Chief Smith, the Lions Club met and voted to purchase one of the vehicles for the Hiawassee Police Department. Ronnie Whelchel, the Towns County Lions Club second vice president, was instrumental in the acquisition of the patrol car. “The Lions’ motto is, ‘We Serve,’” said Whelchel. “What better way to uphold this motto, than to assist those who serve and protect our community.”

Hiawassee Mayor Liz Ordiales and Chief Smith were overjoyed upon hearing of the donation of the vehicle. “We are so fortunate to live in a community that thrives on supporting our area,” said Mayor Ordiales. “The Lions Club has a long-standing tradition of doing just that. We appreciate this service project so much as it enhances our fleet and allows us to provide better service to our community.” “I am incredibly thankful for the generosity shown by the Towns County Lions Club,” said Chief Smith. “The vehicle that I have been driving was the oldest in the fleet and was well past the recommended mileage for a patrol car. I will be proudly driving the new vehicle which displays the Lions Club logo along with ‘Towns County Lions Club Service Project’ behind the rear passenger windows.”

Lions Clubs International is the world’s largest service club organization with more than 1.4 million
members in approximately 46,000 clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas around
the world.