Members of the Franklin Lions came together to distribute $12,500 in funds to local charitable organizations and community groups on Thursday afternoon.

Lions board member Pat Hawk is usually responsible for deciding on the beneficiaries each year, with the funding coming from calendar and hoagie sales."We try to give out most of the money that we make, and we try to give it to the community, because they're the ones that support us," Hawk said.Checks ranging from $500 to $2,500 were given to representatives of eight agencies, including the Franklin Township Playground, the Lehighton Memorial Library, and the Trinity Church Food Bank."It's great. We just hope more organizations like the Lions give us more donations. Without them, the park project just wouldn't be happening," Rod Green, representing the Franklin Township Playground, said."We're going to revitalize the playground and the whole park. This is one of the first donations to our fund."The Lehighton Memorial Library, which is dependent upon community funding, was happy for the contribution."It'll go to our general fund for operating costs," Jim Blakeslee, representing the library, said. "We're funded publicly. We do get some state funding, depending upon how much we get from our community. The Lions and a lot of other groups have been very generous. Especially these guys, every year they give us a check."The Trinity Church food bank was thrilled to receive $2,500, which will help to stock the shelves."We serve about 400 families every month. This will be very helpful," said Tina Dowd, representing Trinity Church's Food Bank.The Franklin Lions were just happy to spread the good will around the neighborhood, helping out the neighbors who have always been there for them."We try to do our best to help out," Hawk said. "All of us feel that giving back to the community is what we're here for."