NORTHAMPTON — The Northampton Lions Club has long been a bastion of local philanthropy in the Pioneer Valley. And every holiday season for decades, the Lions have celebrated the spirit of community by donating to the Sidney F. Smith Toy Fund.

Steve Richards, the current president of the Lions Club, said that he has been a part of the club for seven years, but that many members have been involved for more than 40 years, or even 50, and all of them recall fondly their long-running tradition of supporting the Toy Fund.

“We’ve been donating to the fund for many, many years,” Richards said.

Named after a former business manager at the Gazette, the Toy Fund began in 1933 to help families in need during the Depression. Today, the fund distributes vouchers worth $65 to qualifying families for each child from age 1 to 14.

The Lions Club is a nonprofit organization that has been pursuing philanthropic endeavors in the community since 1936, when it started with 18 charter members. Now, the club has about 50 members, all of whom are committed to bettering the world both through the broader work of Lions Club International and through their local community work.

Over nearly 80 years, the Northampton Lions have contributed over $1 million to more than 90 local organizations and projects. Some of their most notable projects have been the building of the Maine’s Field Pavilion and the Children’s Safety Village. They have become known in the community not only for the work they do, but also for the delicious fries they serve at the Northampton Lions food booth at local events.

Throughout the year, members of the the club engage in meaningful community work such as sponsoring youth sports teams, funding defibrillators at the local Forbes and Lilly libraries, and participating in roadside cleanups. But their biggest annual fundraiser is their Ski and Skate Sale, where they provide community members with a selection of new and used ski and skate equipment at affordable prices.

The proceeds from their Ski and Skate Sale, which is always hosted on the first Saturday of December, go into the club’s general fund — but a generous portion is always given to the Toy Fund to make the holiday season a little brighter for local children in need.

“We like to keep our donations and our projects local … the Toy Fund fits in very well with that,” Richards said.

Richards said that the club’s relationship with the Toy Fund “has felt like a natural connection” over the years, as they have both served the community for a very long time. The Toy Fund “does a great job,” he said, of supporting people in the community and making a tangible impact locally, just like the Northampton Lions. The club donated $1,500 to the Toy Fund this month.

“Nobody wants to think of a kid who doesn’t have a nice Christmas — or have some toys, have some presents to open up at Christmastime,” Richards said.

Bringing that holiday joy to local children, Richards said, is why donating to the Toy Fund has long been an important tradition for he and his fellow Lions.

To be eligible for the Toy Fund, families must live in any Hampshire County community except Ware, or in the southern Franklin County towns of Deerfield, Sunderland, Whately, Shutesbury and Leverett, and in Holyoke in Hampden County.

The following stores are participating this year: A2Z Science and Learning Store, 57 King St., Northampton; Blue Marble/Little Blue, 150 Main St., Level 1, Northampton; High Five Books, 141 N. Main St., Florence; The Toy Box, 201 N. Pleasant St., Amherst; Comics N More, 64 Cottage St., Easthampton; Once Upon A Child,1458 Riverdale St., West Springfield; Plato’s Closet, 1472 Riverdale St., West Springfield; Sam’s Outdoor Outfitters, 227 Russell St., Hadley; Odyssey Bookshop, 9 College St., Village Commons, South Hadley; The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, 125 W. Bay Road, Amherst; World Eye Bookshop, 134 Main St., Greenfield; Holyoke Sporting Goods Co., and 1584 Dwight St. No. 1, Holyoke.

Alexa Lewis can be reached at alewis@gazettenet.com.