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LEWISTOWN - The time-honored tradition of Goose Day was celebrated on Tuesday during an event hosted by the Lewistown Rotary Club at the Birch Hill Club in Burnham.

The guest speaker for the event was Community Partnerships RC&D Larry Schardt, who took the opportunity to reflect on the past and embrace the future.

Known throughout the community as "Rock and Roll" Larry, Schardt stole the show at the event as he spoke of all the beauty the Juniata Valley has to offer, balancing a serious message with a light-hearted undertone.

Schardt began his speech entitled "The Magic of Making Your Own Luck," by telling the audience how he came to live in Lewistown 26 years ago and why he chose to stay.

Schardt can remember the very moment he knew he wanted to live here. He was in town interviewing for a temporary position and on the morning of his interview, he stepped out of his hotel room and saw Jack's Mountain.

"I said to my wife, 'I think I want to spend the rest of my life here' ... I could live anywhere in the world, but I want to live here, I love this community," he said.

Schardt's appreciation for the people of Central Pennsylvania and the beauty of the region was a constant theme throughout his speech.

"The best way to create your own luck is give thanks and appreciate life," he said. "You ever notice that the happiest people in the world are those who give?"

Schardt encouraged people to reflect on their own lives and be thankful for all they have.

Schardt said Goose Day, or St. Michaelmas Day as it was originally called, is a unique celebration, so unique in fact that it has got the attention of a food writer for the Boston Globe, who is visiting the area to write about the tradition.

Schardt said Goose Day is just one example of a tradition that continues to grow in popularity and makes this great place to live. Schardt cited other festivals and special events as equally popular, such as the Ice Festival, RiverFEST, the Great Chip Drop, the Arts Festival and the Embassy Theatre Festival, just to name a few.

"It would take two months to say all the things I appreciate," Schardt said as he listed off local attractions, businesses, state parks, non-profit organizations and numerous other things he is grateful for in the area.

Schardt encouraged people to give back to a community that has given so much to them.

"Appreciate everyone and everything, we are all family here," Schardt said.

Schardt also said it's everyone's responsibility to make this place a better place.

"The Japanese have saying - fix the problem, not the blame," Schardt said of how some people focus too much on pointing fingers and spend less time in creating a solution to a problem.

"Spread a positive attitude and be friendly ... make people feel honored when they visit us," he added.