This story is courtesy of Jackson Electric Cooperative
Jackson Electric Cooperative’s 83rd annual meeting is sure to be a spectacle thanks to an eyeglasses drive the co-op is hosting on behalf of all the Lions Clubs in the co-op’s service territory. The 2020 vision theme, chosen to mark the year 2020, will be woven throughout the entire annual meeting, with the eyeglasses collection as the highlight.
Members and guests are invited to bring their gently used eyeglasses to the annual meeting to be collected for the Lions Club eyeglasses recycling program. The glasses will be sorted, cleaned, categorized, bagged, and boxed in preparation for shipment to developing countries.
Carol Blaken, member relations manager at Jackson Electric, said the idea for the 2020 vision theme/eyeglasses drive came to her as she attended a Lions Club banquet at which she learned about the organization’s signature eyeglasses recycling project.
“I started thinking about how many pairs of ‘readers’ I have, and what do people do with their outdated glasses,” she said. “I had one of those a-ha moments when I figured out how I could tie this into the annual meeting.”
Not only is the drive an example of the seventh cooperative principle, “Concern for Community,” it was also an opportunity to practice the sixth principle, “Cooperation Among Cooperatives.” In true cooperative fashion, Blaken reached out to Jay Nesseth, member relations manager at nearby Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services and also an active Lions Club member, for help in setting up the collection.
All donated eyeglasses will be delivered to the Wisconsin Lions Foundation on behalf of the area’s local Lions Clubs. Any members who are unable to attend the but would like to participate are invited to drop their used eyeglasses off at a collection box available at the co-op headquarters.
Jackson Electric’s annual meeting will be held Tuesday, April 7, at the Lunda Theatre in Black River Falls, with the business meeting starting at 7 p.m. To learn more about Jackson Electric, visit jackelec.com.