FRYEBURG – If you notice something different at the Denmark Lions food booth this year, it might be the new sparkling white building and bright smiles from members working in the new kitchen.

In just five weeks in late summer, volunteers from both the service club and the community rallied to build the new structure at the corner of Cross Road and Livestock Street across from the fair’s Milking Parlor.

“It’s taken us a lot of years to get to this point,” said Sonya Allen, a veteran of 13 years cooking chowder and this year’s enthusiastic fair chairman. She is also the club’s membership chairman and her husband, Mark, serves as secretary.

The club raises $12,000 to $15,000 at the Fryeburg Fair, about three-quarters of its annual budget. The club supports a number of community and area efforts including recreation, the Bridgton Hospital, Seeing-Eye dogs, Boy Scouts and scholarships. Since 1989, the club has contributed more than $80,000 to local scholarships.

The energy created around the fair booth has stimulated resurgence in the club membership as well and interest in the community.

“We’ve had a number of people call and ask how they could help,” Allen said. The club membership numbers 43, and several of the dormant members have gotten involved again.

The old building was donated to the Fryeburg Raiders Booster Club. Allen said the project wouldn’t have been possible without the fair’s support.

“Roy and Dave Andrews have been wonderful,” she said. “They’ve been extremely helpful with everything we’ve asked for.”

Fryeburg Fair has 40 nonprofits operating during fair week and 16 of them are food vendors.

“There are an awful lot of groups and churches that raise much of their budgets right here at the fair,” said Roy Andrews, general superintendent. “We try to do everything we can to help them.”