The founder and guiding light of the Lions club in Ponce Inlet, Florida—the late Constance D. Hunter—was a remarkable, generous woman. To honor her larger-than-life legacy, club members constructed a magnificent fountain dedicated to her memory in Timucuan Oaks Garden.
“When our town was developing a new park along the Halifax River,” explained Ponce Inlet Lions Club president Shirley Okhovatian, “they asked us if we would like to help fund the initiative or install a Lions monument. We jumped at the opportunity to provide a memorial to honor Connie, who gave so much of her time and money to get our club up and running, and beyond. We decided to remember her with a beautiful fountain, which actually accomplished three things: we celebrated her life, celebrated the Lions Centennial and completed a Legacy Project.”
The Ponce Inlet Lions Club was not only the major donor for the park and provider of the decorative fountain, it also dedicated two concrete memorial benches to honor charter Lions Hazel Dauksis and her husband, now deceased. These contributions established a proud and permanent Lions legacy and awareness in the town that will endure for generations to come.
The official opening and dedication ceremony of the park was in January of 2016. The Lions hope that the park will eventually feature memorials to future Lions who provide equally outstanding service to the community.
“It’s our responsibility to remember these early leaders and share their enormous contributions with the next generation of Lions, so that they can experience what we’re all about and want to be a part of it,” said Okhovatian. “It’s easy to carry a torch that’s already burning. Connie Hunter was the one who lit the fire.”
What will your Lions club legacy be? Start planning your Legacy Project today!
