Journey for service makes annual stop in New Richland

On Wednesday April 30, 2025 Journey for Service made a stop in New Richland to collect a donation from the New Richland Lions. Dale Bayerkohler presented District President Lisa Kaufmann with the check during one of the brief stops, which included more than five dozen locations over two and half days.

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 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 has been used for sight and hearing programs.

Through last year, Our Lions, Lioness, and Leo Clubs have contributed a total of just over $250,000 to the ‘Journey’ during the last 18 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.