COMMUNITY EVENTS

• Rudyard Lions Weekly Drawing:  Raffle tickets for the 2026 draw are all sold!  First drawing each week for $100, second drawing for $25, from January through December. There are 52 weekly drawings plus three $250 bonus drawings, one during Summerfest, one at Christmas, and another near Easter.   Each drawing will be on Friday at 9 am.  Drawing location: Spencer Insurance Agency, 11259 West Main St., Rudyard, MI 49780. State License number is X14291 and tickets go on sale this fall.  Even if you win, your ticket stays in for the rest of the drawings! Proceeds go towards Lions sponsored community projects.  Special thanks to the ticket holders who have made this a success over the years.
• Lions Community Service Award:  Rudyard Lions Club is accepting nominations for the Russell LaPonsie Community Service Award and Scholarship for 2026.  This recognizes a Rudyard High School senior who has demonstrated outstanding commitment to community service and will be attending college or a trade school in the fall.  The award is named for Russell LaPonsie, a long-time member of the Rudyard Lions Club and a dedicated community volunteer who was passionate about helping others.  Nominations for the award can be submitted by members of the community who are not relatives of the student.  To be eligible, the student must be a graduating senior from Rudyard High School who has demonstrated a commitment to community service through volunteer work, civic engagement, or other activities that benefit the community.  Nominations can be submitted by being dropped off at Spencer Insurance Agency, mailed to the Rudyard Lions Club at P.O. Box 173, Rudyard, MI 49780, or emailed to RudyardLions@gmail.com.   Nominations will be accepted for 2026 graduates until May 7, 2026.
• Spring Fling Drawing:   2026 Rudyard Lions Annual Spring Fling Raffle drawing will take place on May 15.  Prizes for this raffle include a generator, cordless impact wrench and drill, Blackstone grill, and gift certificate for spring boots.  See a Lions member for tickets or email rudyardlions@gmail.com.
• January - March Cross Country Skiing at the Rudyard School Farm ski trails. (located 4 miles north of Rudyard on Tilson Rd. and 1 mile west on Thompson Rd.) Trails of varying length are maintained and groomed by the Rudyard Lions Club as long as snow conditions allow.
• Seventh Annual Golf Ball Drop, The 2026 raffle will be held July 25, 2026, at the Rudyard Township Park, and the 300 numbered golf balls will be dropped toward a standard golf hole.  The $1,000 prize awarded to the lucky winner.  Proceeds from this event are used to fund community projects.  Tickets for the 2026 event will be available from Lions Club Members, at Spencer Insurance, or at the Township Office, in the early summer.  
• 29th Annual Rudyard Lions Triathlon and 5K Race will take place on Sunday, July 26, 2026.  For results and information about next year's event, visit our race web site .
• Texas Hold 'Em:  Texas Hold 'Em fixed limit play events are on hold at this time. Held at Huck's Bar Pub & Grill, a great time is had by all the participants and funds raised support the RHS softball program and the Rudyard Lions Club. A big thank you to all of the partakers. Watch for future events.
• Community tree lighting and Santa's visit.  Santa has made early plans and will be in town again in 2026.  His pre-Christmas visit will be on Friday, December 4, at 6:30 pm at the Rudyard Township Community Center.
• Christmas Home Decoration Contest:  First Place winners for 2025 were Davin and Jill Salo, second place was Jason and Shavon McKerchie, and third place was Cathy Brown.  Prizes were gift certificates provided by the Rudyard Lions:  First place $75.00 to the Rudyard Co-Op, second place $50 to Rudyard EZ-Mart (Blarney Castle), and third place $25 to Dollar General.  Plan ahead for a great home display in 2026.