Gene and Gail Pike
The Chattanooga Civitan Club has hosted the summer fling for over 20 years raising money for their many worthwhile projects. Beginning this year the event will be known as the Eugene M. Pike Summer Fling to honor one of the club’s most active and longtime members.
This year’s outdoor picnic was held at the McCoy Farm on Signal Mountain in honor of Chattanooga Funeral Home President Gene Pike who joined the club 65 years ago. Mr. Pike said when he became a Civitan member the club needed a fundraiser so they started selling Claxton Fruit Cakes. Miss Tennessee and Miss Chattanooga were part of the annual kick off.
Mr. Pike didn’t know how much money has been raised down thru the years but said it probably would exceed $6 million. He said Dr. James L. Fowle, who was a longtime pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Chattanooga, purchased the first fruit cake. He said Chattanooga High School Principal Col. Creed Bates was also one of the first customers.
Mr. Pike said the club has supported T.C. Thompson Children’s Hospital, Big Brothers – Big Sisters, Bethel Bible Village, Orange Grove School, Contact and Siskin Hospital.
With a lot of his family present, Mr. Pike said he was honored and humbled that the club would name this annual event after him.
The membership voted to give a $2,500 scholarship to a special needs child in honor of Mr. Pike.
Talk Radio’s Jed Mescom served as the event’s master of ceremony.
Mr. Pike said the highlight of his time in Civitan was the year he and his wife Gail went to the National Civitan Convention in Hawaii. “We stayed in the same hotel and next door to Bing Crosby and got to meet the famous crooner.” While in Hawaii the Pikes met Jack Lord while he was filming an episode of Hawaii 5–0.
The club president is Cathy Robbins and the president elect is Gail Waldorf.
The Chattanooga Civitan Club was chartered in 1920 and its first president was T.C. Thompson.
Gene Pike with brother Bill