Photo by Mike Lamb When not worknig at the Kibble dealership in Wabasso, Dean Fischer is helpiong out with community projects.

WABASSO — There is a motto posted behind the Lion Bar inside the Wabasso Community Center that longtime Lions member Dean Fischer says he lives by as an area resident. It reads: “Volunteers don’t necessarily have time. They just care.”

A lot of Fischer’s volunteering is connected with the Wabasso Lions Club. He joined the club 30 years ago and has served as its secretary for 25 of those years. However, the list of service goes well beyond the club.

He has served on the Wabasso City Council, he’s also been involved with the Wabasso Basketball Association, Wabasso Baseball Association, served as youth basketball coach for 10 years and has been the public address announcer for the Wabasso Rabbits football for the past 25 years.

He’s also proud of being directly involved with the renovation of the softball complex.

“We got the best looking softball field in this part of the state as far as I’m concerned,” Fischer said.

His pride of that softball field matches his drive to help his community.

“If something is going on I want to least try and go and support the fundraiser or try and help others the best you can,” he said.

That drive, according to Fischer, was instilled into by his parents who raised 12 children and farmed 2 miles outside Wabasso. He attended St. Ann’s School and helped his parents with various community projects including helping his dad on Lions Club projects.

“We learned a lot of stuff there on the farm growing up,” Fischer said. “A lot of hard work. It didn’t hurt us at the end of the day. I watched my parents do that their whole lives. It was pretty easy to fall into place and follow what they did.

“My mom and dad were both good about giving back and not always expecting things in return because you are doing it not for personal gratification. You are kind of doing it for the benefit of the community and the benefit of the many people that need a little help.”

That drive also led Fischer on eventually following his dad into becoming a member of the Lions Club as an adult.

“Every so often they will do a membership drive. The year I joined there as four or five of that are the same age and we all had parents or brothers that were already involved in the club. So It was pretty easy to get you in there,” he said.

“I helped with (Lions) staff before that. Not as a member — but because in high school if there was an event going on, dad would say ‘are you coming with us? You’re gonna help me go up there.’ And I would help to do it.”

Fischer shared the list of Lions Club fundraising projects through the years that goes on and on. He mentioned the Lions shelter by the community center, the playground by the baseball field, the Lions Bar which is attached to the west side of the community center, other renovations to the center and taking care of the football field before the season starts.

“We got our 54th pork barbecue coming up here in June, which our club started in 1971. We had a barbecue every year except for the COVID year. It’s definitely our biggest fundraiser. It takes the most people to put on,” he said.

“Most of our fundraisers we end up getting eighty-five to ninety percent turnout for workers. Which always helps because it takes a lot of people to make all this happen. But you know, we got good support from the city, good support obviously from the citizens of Wabasso and surrounding communities. Our leadership in the club is really good. A lot of these members now are second to third generation members. Their dads and their grandpas helped start the club back in the 70s. My dad was one of the first ones. There are four of us Fischer boys involved in the Lions Club right now. I’m pretty sure we have a grandpa, a son and a grandson all members at this present time.”

Fischer credits that dedication to volunteering for fundraising projects on community pride.

“Just knowing you helping people and you’re helping causes — it’s big thing for us,” he said. “There’s a lot of pride in this town and the people are proud of Wabasso has to offer and what we give them. The citizens are the main reason why our club stays successful. They support all our things we do and it’s huge. You can’t find it everywhere. There’s a lot of stuff going on nowadays. We don’t expect to get 2,000 people for events. You get a good crowd and people appreciate what we put on.”

Fischer appreciates the support he receives from his wife, Tracie, and three daughters. Kendra is a registered nurse in the Twin Cities area. Kelsie is a junior at Augustana University in Sioux Falls., South Dakota. Kallie will be graduating from high school.

“Without their direct support of what I do, volunteering wise, I don’t get to do a lot of stuff. They put up with a lot of stuff because I’m galavanting around doing work on projects,” he said. “They actually helped me with a lot of stuff too over the years. My kids figured out and learned that volunteering is a good thing. You are helping more than yourself at the end of the day. Those are always good things to put on your resume and college applications.

Fischer says his wife wonders if he will ever retire.

“I said, ‘well don’t worry about that. There are plenty of volunteer jobs.’ As long as I can walk and stand, I’m gonna do it. That’s my goal.”