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 in 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 “The Titanic”.

In 1990, District Governor Herold 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 the 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 funds collected have been used for sight and hearing programs.

A total of just over $223,285 has been contributed by our Lions, Lioness and Leo Clubs to the ‘Journey’ during the last 15 years. This is an average of almost $15,000 per year. Also, since 19991 there has been 100% participation by the clubs in 5M-2, with all Lions, Lioness and Leo Clubs contributing to the ‘Journey’. The Journey for Service operates on a minimum of expense, 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

Provided by our District Historian, Lion Ken Farrell