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Delayed since March, Longmont Distinguished Citizen and Scout fundraiser will honor city’s best

To mitigate the risk posed by coronavirus, the Boy Scouts of America Longs Peak Council has made the event a “drive-in” and participants will stay in their vehicles for the ceremony, dinner and a movie to conclude the night.
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Richard “Dick” Lyons and Scout Adrian Deputat will be honored Aug. 5, 2020, at the the Longmont Distinguished Citizen and Scout event. (Courtesy photos)

After multiple postponements, the Boy Scouts of America Longs Peak Council will finally host its 30th annual fundraiser, the Longmont Distinguished Citizen and Scout event, on Aug. 5. Longs Peak Council District Director John Eastman said the event, which was originally scheduled for March 18, raises approximately 75% of the Longs Peak Council’s annual funding and is crucial to keep the scouting program going strong. 

A large majority of the $28,000 fundraiser goal will help support low-income Scout families but Eastman said because of  COVID-19, the council is only hovering around 65% of its goal; it is usually over 98% at this time of year. 

Longmont resident Richard “Dick” Lyons and Scout Adrian Deputat will be honored at the event. 

Lyons has served on multiple committees and professional boards and has worked more than 40 years at the Lyons Gaddis law firm. He also is a member of the Longmont Rotary Club. Lyons was chosen for the Distinguished Citizen honor because of the breadth of his support for organizations at the local and state level, Eastman said. “He's been on different boards, election review committees ...He's (done) everything from being on the boards in Boulder County Bar Association, boards of trustees for different organizations.”

Lyons said he is “humbled and honored” he is being recognized. 

“I'm a Rotarian and our motto is service above self and I've really tried to give back to the community through service to the community in various ways and various committees,” Lyons said. “It's extremely important for all of us to participate in any way, shape or form we can. There's a lot of us who are out there doing the hard work like volunteering at the hospital right now, or delivering food and shelter to the homeless in the evenings, Meals on Wheels, (the list) goes on and on. They're the real heroes and should be honored.”

Deputat, the night’s Scout honoree, is entering his senior year at Silver Creek High School and has a better resume than most, according to Eastman. 

“He's been in the young Rotary, he's been in (the) Silver Creek Leadership Academy, he's been in the troop, (and) he's just finished his Eagle Scout,” Eastman said. “(He has) all kinds of stuff that you look at (and) it's like, 'You’ve got a great resume already. You’ve got a better resume than most other adults that are in their 30s.' It just yells out to you."

As with every public gathering, safety will be front and center at the event. In order to mitigate the risk posed by coronavirus, the Longs Peak Council has made the event a “drive-in” and participants will stay in their vehicles for the ceremony, dinner and a movie to conclude the night. The council is urging people to follow social distancing measures when not in their assigned parking spots. 

To register for the event and make a donation, click here

The Longs Peak Council’s mission is to “develop character, integrity and leadership” in youth. Those principles, most importantly leadership, according to Eastman, have helped the Distinguished Citizen Event stay strong for 30 years.