USC Lions Club Gearing Up for Second Annual Farmers Market

Summer will be here before you know it, and the Lions Club of Upper St. Clair will again be organizing a farmers market in the parking lot.

"Last year was very successful," said Roy Johnson, a 25-year member of the USC Lions Club.

Starting June 2, nearly 25 vendors will set up shop every Thursday, selling food and plant products through September 29.

"We were told it would be tough getting it started; that it usually takes time to grow," said Burt Bowman, the Lions Club member in charge of organizing the event. "But there were vendors last year selling out. There is a need for this in our community."

Vendors sell plants, flowers and a large variety of food items. The most popular vendor in 2010 sold Greek food.

This year, new vendors will include fudge, pierogies and all-natural beef.

"It became a real community gathering center," Johnson said. "If you think about it, there is no place for people to meet in Upper St. Clair, except for maybe the new Rec Center."

The farmers market takes a lot of work to set up, but the members of the Lions Club said it's worth it.

"It's very gratifying," Bowman said. "We're doing it for charities. Our money helps the blind."

What is the USC Lions Club

Every other Wednesday night — in the fall, winter and spring — the USC Lions Club meets at .

The members eat a meal, share some laughs and discuss ways to raise money for local charities.

The Lions Club is the largest service organization in the world with 1.3 million members in over 200 countries. The Upper St. Clair club was founded in 1955 and has been growing strong ever since.

Johnson joined the club 25 years ago.

"I got cataracts when I was young and I became very sensitive to the fact that I could go blind," Johnson said. "So a friend in North Allegheny suggested I join the Lions Club, and I did."

Johnson and the USC Lions Club raise funds to donate to vision-related charities; such as Blind and Vision Rehabilitation Services of Pittsburgh, Western Pennsylvania School for the Blind and Leader Dogs for the Blind. The club has also raised money to purchase large-print books and audio books for the .

Other ways the organization raises funds is by selling reusable tote bags, high-quality kitchen plastic bags and compostable paper leaf bags. 

If you are interested in purchasing the reusable tote bags ($4 each) or becoming a member of the USC Lions Club, call David. M. Weintraub 412.221.1353 or email him at dmwsizes1@verizon.net. If you would like more information about the Farmers Market, please call Burt Bowman 412.835.4968. For lawn and trash bags, call Paul Rebholz 412.257.2731. You can also contact the club through snail mail: USC Lions, PO Box 12778, Upper St. Clair, PA 15241.