Graham receives Lions award
Trafalgar Lions Club celebrated its 52nd charter anniversary recently with a dinner at Trafalgar Community Centre.
The club still has two of its original members who have served the club and the community for the past 52 years including Max Erbs and Graham McKenzie.
During the meeting Graham was overwhelmed when a skype link was set up with Sydney where past international president Barry Palmer appeared on screen to announce Graham was recipient of the prestigious Barry Palmer honour award.
Barry announced the award on behalf of district governor Steve Boyce and the Lions District 201 V3. Other special guests at the presentation were second vice district governor Kim Ainsworth and past district governor Norma Barnard.
Graham received the award for his outstanding work over more than 10 years serving as a co-ordinator for the Australian chapter of the Lions International Stamp Club where he was responsible for receiving, sorting, trimming and packing stamps for auction from Lions Clubs, businesses and individuals in Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania. He also was treasurer of the chapter.
Barry said Graham sometimes spent 60 hours a week processing the stamps and he was honoured to be asked to make the presentation.
Over the past four years the Australian chapter has raised $233,000 from the sale of stamps and in May this year will present a further $60,000 to the Australian Lions Children's Mobility Foundation. All of this money is used to purchase walking frames for children born with cerebral palsy.
A stunned Graham thanked his club, Steve and Barry for all their planning and scheming that went into the award presentation.
He said apart from receiving such an honour, the only reason that any of the stamp club members worked for such long hours was to be rewarded when they saw the smile on the faces of young children and their families at the presentation of a walking frame to a child with cerebral palsy. "We only do it for the kids," he said