[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 14543]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            HONORING THE COLLINSVILLE, ILLINOIS, LIONS CLUB

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JOHN SHIMKUS

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 9, 2008

  Mr. SHIMKUS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the service of 
the Collinsville, Illinois, Lions Club over the past 85 years. When the 
Collinsville Lions Club was founded in 1923, it was the only service 
organization in Collinsville. In the 1920s and 1930s, Collinsville was 
transitioning from a mining district to a mixed commercial-residential 
area. The Lions Club helped ensure a smooth transition then, and for 
the past 85 years has been an important part of the Collinsville 
community.
  Throughout the years, this service organization has aided students in 
Southern Illinois interested in healthcare by providing yearly 
scholarships. Additionally, the Lions Club has been active in assisting 
the blind and visually impaired. In the past, they have provided 
glasses, cataract surgery, and sight-assistance dogs. Most notably, the 
Lions Club outfitted a reading room in the Collinsville Public Library 
with reading and hearing equipment, as well as hearing aids and reading 
glasses.
  I would like to congratulate and thank the Collinsville, Illinois, 
Lions Club for 85 years of successful service and wish them the best of 
luck in the future.

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