Three Cape Girardeau Lions Club members, Jim Hirsch, Fred Goodwin and Steve Strom, were recently honored as Melvin Jones Fellows by president David Morris. Joining Morris in the presentation were past recipients Freck Shivelbine, Rob Williams, Keith Deimund and Larry Osteen.

The Melvin Jones Fellowship honors the founder of Lions Club International. Growth of the fellowship program has enabled the Lions Clubs International Foundation to meet humanitarian needs in communities worldwide.

Hirsch joined the club in 1961 and served as president from 1983 to 1984. Goodwin joined the club in 1959 and served as president from 1979 to 1980. Strom joined the club in 1957 and served as president from 1981 to 1982.

The fellowship was created in 1973. Fellowship donations are responsible for successfully launching the Lions' global campaign against preventable and curable blindness, the LCIF SightFirst program; combined with other unrestricted gifts, providing funds for medical facilities often designed to benefit disadvantaged and underserved populations; supporting vocational assistance programs for the disabled; helping fund reconstruction projects following major disasters; and providing homes for children with special needs and homes for the elderly.

Any individual, Lions Club or district may choose to donate unrestricted funds in $100 increments over a five-year period. When contributions total $1,000, an individual named by the donors becomes a Melvin Jones Fellow. When a fellowship is registered posthumously, Lions Clubs International sends a plaque in the deceased's name along with a lapel pin to the individual designated to receive them.

cpagano@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 133