Improvements and New Dinner Items Discussed
Board members of the Ava Lions Club met with the board of directors of the Missouri Fox Trotters at the Fox Trotter headquarters north of Ava Tuesday evening, Aug. 9, to discuss possible improvements to the Lions Concession building.
One item presented by the Lions which was approved by the Fox trotters was the construction of a handicap ramp into the dining hall. This ramp will be constructed to meet ADA standards and will make ingress and egress of the facility much easier for anyone utilizing a wheel chair.
The Lions agreed to pay for the construction of the ramp and will have it completed prior to the start of the fall horse show which begins Labor Day Weekend.
Other items were discussed but were tabled until all board members could be present at the fall show to discuss the items and cost in more detail prior to making a final decision.
The Ava Lions began a business partnership supporting the annual Jubilee with the Fox Trotters in 1977 and have operated the concession facility at every annual Show and Celebration and horse show since that time. The first building was a small 36×50-foot concrete block building in which burgers, hot dogs and drinks were sold.
By 1993 the growth of the event led to the Lions adding a 1500-foot addition to be used as a dining hall which allows visitors to sit inside and enjoy visiting with their friends while enjoying an ice cold soda or a fresh burger.
In 2009 the Lions expanded their menu to offer visitors something more than the traditional burger or hot dog. The Lions now operate the facility from 6 a.m. to midnight every day of each show.
The morning menu now includes a full breakfast menu from eggs with bacon, sausage or ham to pancakes to biscuits and gravy or homemade cinnamon rolls and fresh coffee.
The lunch and dinner menu now includes complete dinner items such a Philly cheese steak sandwiches, roast beef dinners or open-face roast beef sandwiches, fried chicken, fish dinners or sandwiches and many other items including corn dogs.
In addition, the Lions also sell candy, ice cold sodas, water, tea, lemonade and ice cream.
All monies raised from the operation of this concession facility is used to further the goal of the Ava Lions in the local community.
The Lions test every child K-6, in Douglas County every year for vision, ambliopia and hearing. They pay for additional hearing exams if required and also to purchase glasses or hearing aids for the hearing impaired.
They also support many community activities including the Halloween contest, Christmas parade, veterans appreciation dinner, the Bear Closet which provides clothing and shoes to underprivileged children as well as supporting Friday Feast.
The Lions and Fox Trotters invite everyone to come visit the horse show in September. Help support the Fox Trotters and Lions Club as we support and give back to the Ava Community.
