Lions Scallop Dinner keeps an Island tradition going strong
The Shelter Island Lions Club hosted its 66th annual Scallop Dinner, one of the Island’s favorite fall events, on Saturday, Oct. 15 at Gardiner’s Bay Country Club. It’s at once a salute to the Island’s shellfishing heritage and a celebration of neighbors coming together to enjoy each other’s company and support a good cause.
The Lions, who have a long and substantial track record of supporting projects that benefit the Island community, dedicated Saturday’s event to raising funds for CAST (Community Action Southold Town), a nonprofit organization with the stated mission “To promote self-sufficiency and provide a safety net for North Fork and Shelter Island residents in need.”
Among those to whom CAST lends a hand are seniors, children, single mothers, veterans, the working poor, people living with disabilities, the homeless, and those needing emergency assistance because of an unexpected crisis.
This year, CAST began sending a van to Shelter Island to provide supplemental food assistance to Islanders, adding to the community food support long provided by the Island’s Food Pantry at the Presbyterian Church.
The strains of the pandemic in the last few years led to the need for such additional community outreach.
Saturday’s event enabled the Lions to make a $7,000 donation to CAST. Close to 200 guests enjoyed the meal prepared by GBCC chefs Adam Johnson and Sebastian Bliss, in a tradition begun by their grandfather, Lenny Bliss, who cooked the local scallop dinner 66 years ago.
Over the years, Mr. Bliss served as the manager at the country club, where last Saturday the hospitality was as warm as ever for neighbors sharing a hearty autumn meal.
