Lions fellows make history

By Bridget Cook
THE Lions Club of Dandenong Supper has made history.
Ten members received the prestigious Melvin Jones Fellowship award last month – the first time 10 members from one club have received the award at once in the history of Lions in Australia.
The fellowship is the highest individual honour from the Lions Club International Foundation to recognise members and the community for their generous support, commitment and dedication to humanitarian projects.
Dandenong Lions’ supper secretary and award recipient Don Rashath Udawatta said the members who received the awards were involved in a number of humanitarian projects over the past few years.
He said the main project the award recognised was the Sight First project, which they conducted alongside SCATS.
“We raised more than $33,000 for a hospital in Sri Lank, which saw about 1200 cataract patients treated,” he said.’
“We also ran other projects including the Feed the Needy project, Good Friday Appeal and the Red Cross appeal.”
The recipients received the awards during a special presentation at the Lions Cultural Extravaganza event at Docklands.
Special guests at the event included Lions officials, Sri Lankan and Local Government MPs, the Melbourne Lord Mayor, the mayor of Greater Dandenong and other dignitaries.
The award recipients’ names will be permanently engraved at the Melvin Jones Memorial Wall of Fame at Fort Thomas Arizona, USA.