Journey for Service

Journey for Service, is a journey by car to visit every Lions Club in District 5M-2 to collect funds for Lions projects that are picked by the District Governor. The journey is usually held in early April. It is a three day, on time road trip. At least we strive to be on time, spend a few minutes and move on to the next stop. The District Governor and I look forward to seeing every Lion during the journey. If there is any changes to your contacts from the list sent out, please contact [email protected] 

History of 5M-2 Journey for Service

The Journey for Service program was originally, called Journey for Sight, a program originated by Lions International. The first year that District 5M-2 conducted a Journey for Sight was 1986, when District Governor Bob Vogel named Lion John Beneke (Glencoe Lions) to be his Journey for Sight Chairman. Lion Beneke acted in this capacity for five years, conducting the ‘Journey’ in his huge motor home nicknamed “The Titanic”. In 1990, District Governor Harold Marquardt appointed Lion Jack Webster (Waterville Lions) to act as his chairman for Journey for Sight. Lion Webster has served as chairman of this annual fundraiser from that time up to the present. In the year 2002 Lions International dropped their association with the Journey for Sight program.

District Governor Elvera Trettin felt that the ‘Journey’ was such a success in District 5M-2 that she urged the 5M-2 Cabinet to continue with the project. During the ‘Journey” conducted that spring, Governor Elvera and Chairman Webster decided the title ‘Journey for Service” would be more appropriate since Lions International no longer recognized a Journey for Sight project. At the annual summer cabinet meeting in 2002, motion was made and seconded to change the name of the project to Journey for Service and continue with the project. The Cabinet approved the idea, since then it has been known as Journey for Service. Monies collected from Lions, Lioness and Leo Clubs during the ‘Journey’ have always been donated to Cabinet-approved health-related projects. The largest share of the funds collected have been used for sight and hearing programs. Our Lions, Lioness, and Leo Clubs have contributed a total of just over $223,285 to the ‘Journey’ during the last 15 years.

This is an average of almost $15,000 per year. Also, since 1991 there has been 100% participation by clubs in 5M-2, with all Lions, Lioness and Leo Clubs contributing to the ‘Journey’.

The Journey for Service operates on a minimum of expenses, with only about 3% of the income being used for expenses. As a point of information: many Lions in the District feel that Lion Webster Conducted the ‘Journey for Sight’ by bicycle for several years back in the early 1980’s. Not so. The Fundraiser was conducted by Lion Webster for the Lions Hearing Center, of which he was a District Trustee at that time.