Eagles celebrate 100th anniversary
Mark Lindsay
Sunday, September 26, 2026

Lockport Aerie 825 Fraternal Order of Eagles celebrated its 100th anniversary Saturday with an old friend.

The Eagles hosted a celebration featuring a dinner and a ceremony honoring its past presidents. The party was held at OoLaLa on Lincoln Avenue. The night club is the former home of the Eagles.

The organization has run into financial difficulties in recent years and no longer has a club to call its own. But its working hard to establish a new club, said current president, Dick Groves.

“We’ve been in the process in this last year of trying to rebuild,” Groves said. “The club took a little bump now we’re trying to get back on our feet.”

“Basically we’re looking for money-making ideas and getting new members to join,” Eagles trustee Tim Bruning said.

“Eagles are people helping people,” the club’s motto reads. They do that by donating money to other charities and organizations in need. The group donated a rescue car to the Lockport Fire Department and has helped support youth programs, sports teams and Boy Scouts.

Lockport Aerie 825 has been unable to provide that help since suffering its downturn.

On hand for Saturday’s festivities was New York State Aerie President Daniel Curcio. He thought it was a good sign the members were taking an active role in trying to rebuild.

“They’ve endured quite a bit,” Curcio said. “They’ve got a good core of people to keep this thing going.”

For a club like the Eagles to have success, Curcio said, it’s important for them to have mass appeal. “If you don’t have something there for everyone, you’re barking up the wrong tree,” he said.

Eagles organizations in Watertown, Olean, Glens Falls and Saratoga Springs are thriving, Curcio said. Depew is one of the largest in the state with about 1,600 members. The Lockport Eagles have a membership of about 70.

Joe Rej, owner of OoLaLa, has allowed the Eagles to hold its meetings at his club free of charge, a gesture much appreciated by the organization.

The club simply needs more members, Bruning said. “We need more of a turnout,” Bruning said. For a person contemplating joining, Bruning said “you’re going to have a self reward knowing the things you’re doing things for your community as well as other charities.”

Mayor Michael Tucker was a guest at the celebration and proclaimed Saturday “Eagles Day.”
View Printable Story

Add a comment