Years ago, Maryville Lions Club entered into an agreement with another company to place numerous gumball machines and candy dispensers in businesses all around Blount county to help raise money. You may recall inserting a coin into one of these devices and then trying to catch the sugar projectile before it hit the ground! You may even have memories of popping one of those gumballs into your mouth, only to find out it was hard as a rock! That’s because sadly our Lions Clubs lost track of those machines — partly because the people who maintained them passed away, or the machine was relocated at some point.

Well several of these gumball and candy machines resurface once in a while. Most recently a local vendor called and told us to claim our collections. To our delight, when we retrieved the machine we could hear coins jingling inside. We counted our treasure and had $125 to add to our benevolence fund. That’s five pair of new eyeglasses we would not otherwise have been able to provide to local residents. Now THAT is something to chew on!

We’d like to reclaim the rest of our gumball machines. Some store owners may have moved them out of sight after all the treats were gone. Others might still have them sitting in a corner somewhere collecting dust. Wherever they are, we’d like to know so we can fulfill their purpose of providing eyeglasses to those in need locally. Perhaps you can help us spot them.

You’ll know the machine belongs to us if it is marked in some way with our Lions Club logo. The newer models have a Lions Club sign posted on the inside of the glass or a sticker across the outside. Older models may have an actual metal sign either mounted to the top or attached to the mouth of the dispenser. If you see one of our gumballs in a Blount County business, please contact us. If you recall seeing a machine somewhere in the past, ask the manager if it is still on site.