DANVILLE — The Danville Lions Club will hold the 2025 raccoon dinner on Monday, Feb. 3 at St. Luke’s Community Center, 7 W Rambo St. in Danville.
The meal will be served from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on a first-come, first-served basis. The Danville Jazz Band will perform at 6 p.m. for the attendees across the street from the community center in the high school auditorium.
Bruce Bogusky will deliver the keynote address at 7 p.m.
Bogusky was in a car accident at the age of 18 and was paralyzed from the neck down. After two years of intense rehab, he regained full use of his body and went on to become a two-time Ohio state champion in racquetball. He also played on a state championship softball team.
He has been a baseball coach and assistant football coach at the high school level, as well as a tennis coach at the college level.
Today, he spends most of his time making speeches throughout North America. He has made over 1,800 presentations to student groups, educators, associations, chambers of commerce, large and small corporations, secretarial groups, and government agencies.
He has also written several books.
Raccoon dinner supports a legacy of worthy causes
Proceeds from this year’s raccoon dinner will assist the Ty & Melissa Fletcher family (with two teenage boys and a grandfather), whose home recently burned to the ground. If you cannot attend, direct donations designated to the Fletcher Family Fund are welcome and appreciated.
You can mail donations to Danville Lions Club, PO Box 506, Danville, OH 43014.
The club will hold a silent auction as part of the fundraising effort. In addition, a raffle for a Ruger American Gen II 20″x.243 Winchester Rifle will be drawn at 7 at the program location. Raffle tickets are available at the door and at various locations in Danville.
In 2022, the Danville Lions Club, coupled with donations from other Ohio Lions District OH-7 clubs, individuals, and the Danville Knights of Columbus raised over $10,500 to assist Dalton Shelton with his traumatic brain injury rehabilitation and home improvements to accommodate his accessibility needs.
In 2023, a donation of $2,500 was made from the proceeds of the raccoon dinner to the Danville Street Lighting project. The club donated $10,000 to the Brian Durbin family scholarship fund in 2024.
History of the raccoon dinner
Clyde Banbury and Clyde Cornell hosted the first raccoon dinner. The meal was served in Banbury’s basement with 30 in attendance.
Soon thereafter, the dinner became an annual event and was moved to the school cafeterias. It later moved to St. Luke’s Community Center.
There have been many notable and outstanding speakers such as Ohio Governor Jim Rhodes, OSU 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 many more. The largest attendance to the event was over 800 people.
At the dinner, volunteers serve almost 500 pounds of raccoon as the entrée, coupled with a full course setting of mashed potatoes, gravy, dressing, vegetables, and a generous serving of fresh homemade cornbread. A limited amount of ham is prepared for those wishing to attend whose health may not permit them to consume the raccoon.
Participants come from all over the United States and Canada to attend this famous event. Previously, a man flew from Missouri in his airplane just for the dinner, and a newspaper editor came from Pennsylvania to enjoy the unique cuisine.
Visitors from places as far away as Russia, Venezuela, and Egypt have attended the raccoon dinner.
Since its beginning, the 86-year-old Danville Lions Club has truly lived up to the Lions Motto “We Serve.” The club has sponsored and facilitated hundreds of fundraising events and service projects to help the Danville area community and its citizens.
For additional information about the 2025 Raccoon Dinner, contact the Danville Lions Club at 740-507-3898, DanvilleLions@gmail.com, or go to Facebook at Danville Lions Raccoon Dinner or www.facebook.com/RaccoonDinner.
Knox Community Hospital proudly supports the vibrant pulse of our community by sponsoring the Life & Culture section on Knox Pages, celebrating the stories and experiences that make our region unique.