Lions Club Roar at Local Golf Tournament

Pictured from left to rigt are: Murray Dunn, Lions District Governor, Patton Lions Club; Don Beckham, President, Cape Girardeau Noon Lions Club; Todd Ward, Past President, Cape Girardeau Noon Lions Club; Mona Copeland, President, Cape Girardeau Evening Lions Club; Kirk Barks, Past Club Secretary, Cape Girardeau Noon Lions Club, Andrea Cunningham, Mitch Robinson, Immediate Past President, Cape Girardeau Noon Lions Club; Jeff Cunningham, Bob Hecht, Incoming District Governor, East Perry County Lions Club

A big turnout and a big check were the highlights at a golf tournament Monday to benefit Melaina's Magical Playland, an all-inclusive/accessible playground set to be built in Cape County Park North. Forty-two 4 man teams were on hand at Kimbeland Country Club for the tournament organized by friends of Andrea and Jeff Cunningham to benefit their playground project, in memory of their daughter, Melaina, who had special needs, and found local playgrounds challenging. Before teeing off, the local Lions Club chapter presented the project with a check of over $177,000. The donation was the result of local Lions Club fundraising of over $100,000 along with a matching $75,000 grant from the Lions Club International Foundation. Around 160 golfers then took to the fairways and greens of the golf course in Jackson, Missouri. In the end, the tournament raised approximately $23,000. With the check and tournament proceeds, the Cunningham's have raised approximately $623,000 of the $750,000 needed to complete the playground project.