Fourteen bricks were added to the Fire Station memorial monument near Escalon’s Main Street Park over the weekend. All 14 bricks were donated in memory of Lions Club members; those who have passed over the last few years.
Current Lions Club members said it is a way to honor the community service the individuals provided and highlight the wide-ranging impact they had.
Bricks were placed in memory of: Dick Dawson, Richard Tatum, Don Wendland, Reno Giuntoli, Larry Swanson, Brent Rocha, Bud Andrews, Monty Vander Beek, Ralph Lyda, Frank Bryan, Gus Kisst, John Largent, Dick Kearsley, and Paul Reichmuth.
Family members of several of the honorees turned out for 9 a.m. ceremony on Saturday, Aug. 22.
The bricks were placed with those already surrounding the memorial commemorating Escalon’s first fire station. They are sold through the Escalon Historical Society as a fundraiser. The plaque was unveiled in June of 2011 and the first order of bricks included 75 that were installed in honor or memory of local residents, businesses and families.
The Buy-a-Brick Fundraiser is ongoing, with a couple of different sizes available.
“We’re happy that we can do this to memorialize these past members that have passed away that were all huge people in the club, did many things for the community and it’s just a small token of what we can do for them,” Lions Club President Jeff Miller shared.
Escalon Historical Society President Dave Russell, who also attended the event on Saturday, said they do the installations when they have a sufficient number of bricks; typically they like to do at least 10 at a time but he said they have had smaller installations when necessary.
“I like to say that (the late) Evelyn Swass was the driver of this whole operation,” Russell added of the fire station monument and accompanying bricks.
As the small crowd gathered for the informal event on Saturday, contractor Roger Peters took time to fit each new commemorative brick in, placing them carefully as family members watched.
Many also took photos of the brick dedicated in memory of their loved one, sharing the moment with the Lions Club members in attendance.
Representing the Lions were Jeff Miller, Mike Powers, Tom Machado and Mike Caskey.
