DANVILLE – The Danville Lions Club announced Thursday evening that it has postponed the 78th annual Danville Raccoon Dinner until further notice, in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
“We are looking at dates in the spring,” Danville Lions Club member and dinner organizer Pat Crow said in an email. “We will let everyone know as the impact of the COVID virus evolves and the vaccine becomes more available.”
Updates will be shared on the event’s Facebook page, Crow said, and through news releases to local media.
“The club members regret this circumstance,” Danville Lions Club President Sandy Crow said, “but the health and welfare of our friends and our fellow Lions members is the most important aspect regarding this decision.”
The dinner was traditionally held the first Monday of February at St. Luke’s Community Center, located directly behind St. Luke’s Catholic Church. Hundreds would come from Knox County and beyond to enjoy a raccoon dinner and entertainment at the nearby high school. Proceeds from the event would go toward Lions Club scholarships, as well as community improvement projects and charitable causes.
Many of Knox County’s traditional cultural events have either been postponed or canceled since the pandemic began last March. All of the county’s summertime festivals were axed last year, and holiday parades were halted (when possible, some celebrations went virtual). The Knox County Fair, traditionally one of the area’s most well-attended events, was limited to only Junior Fair activities.
The virus, which spreads from person-to-person via airborne particles, has killed nearly 10,000 Ohioans to-date (including 59 Knox County residents, according to Knox Public Health). It has sickened thousands and has threatened to overwhelm the local health care system. Local health officials have warned against mass gatherings since the start of the pandemic, but particularly now, as Knox County is currently in the midst of its second major surge.
Vaccines, however, are slowly beginning to make their way here. While less than three percent of Knox County residents have received the COVID-19 vaccine to-date, according to the Ohio Department of Health, distribution will open up in the coming weeks, as doses will become available to senior citizens and teachers. Leading federal medical experts predict that 70 percent of the U.S. will need to become vaccinated before the country can achieve “herd immunity,” where the virus runs out of viable hosts and eventually dies off.
ABOUT THE DINNER:Â Clyde Banbury and Clyde Cornell organized the first Danville Raccoon Dinner in 1944. The meal was served in Banbury’s basement with 30 in attendance. Over the years, as interest and public participation grew, the event was moved to Danville Elementary School and eventually St. Luke’s Community Center.
As the event evolved, guest speakers were included as part of the program. There have been many notable speakers over the years, including Ohio Governor Jim Rhodes; Ohio State head coaches Woody Hayes and John Cooper; Gordy Coleman (Cincinnati Reds); Jerry Razor (newscaster); Ed Johnson; Steve Newman; Andy Geiger; Bill Conley; Craig Krenzel; Greg Frey; Katie Smith; Matt Finkus; Bobby Carpenter; and others.
At one point, 800-plus people attended the annual dinner. Hundreds still do today.
It takes more than 100 volunteers to prepare and serve the nearly 500 pounds of raccoon consumed each year. The raccoon is served alongside several side dishes, including mashed potatoes, dressing, mixed vegetables, raccoon gravy, cake, and homemade cornbread. A limited amount of ham is prepared for those wishing to attend whose health may not permit them to consume the raccoon.
People have come from all over the U.S. and Canada to attend the dinner. Past events have seen a gentleman fly up from Missouri in his airplane, just for the meal, and a newspaper editor once came from Pennsylvania to enjoy the unique cuisine. The event has attracted visitors from places as far away as Russia and Egypt.
The 80-year-old Danville Lions Club, chartered in 1939, was sponsored jointly by the Fredericktown and Mount Vernon Lions Clubs. Since the beginning, the club has lived by the motto “We Serve.” It has sponsored and facilitated hundreds of fundraising events and service projects to help the Danville-area community and its citizens.
