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Carbondale Lions Club President Brad Hagy (far left) is joined by Carbondale Community High School Instructor Dallas Terry and carpentry students (from left) Ty Doan, Gaige Shelton, Eduardo Llamas, Terry and Nathan Weiss. Students in Terry's carpentry classes designed and built the custom eyeglass donation box for the club.
Just down the hall from the room where the Carbondale Lions Club holds its weekly meeting is an eyeglass collection box. Like other boxes around town, this collection point in the central lobby of the Carbondale City Hall/Civic Center building fulfills one of the group’s primary service projects: providing eyewear to those who cannot afford glasses worldwide.
What makes this particular collection box different is that it is likely the nicest eyeglass depository in the nation and maybe the world. This all-new box was custom built by students in last year’s Carbondale Community High School exterior and interior carpentry class.
Students from the class as well as course instructor Dallas Terry gathered with members of the Carbondale Lions Club Friday for the official dedication of the new box.
“It was very generous and special that the students of Carbondale Community High School made this for us,” club president Brad Hagy said. “They did a really great job and this is really cool.”
Hagy said individuals can donate unneeded eyeglasses in the boxes for collection by club members. In addition to the civic center box, he explained donations can be made in a box at University Mall or at most optometry offices.
“We send them to our hub in northern Illinois and then they are distributed to people who need them or can’t afford them. They are refurbished and distributed worldwide,” Hagy said.
The wooden box features a pull-down collection door, a locked area where the glasses are stored, a carved Lions Club logo on the front and a distinctive large pair of wooden eyeglasses on top.
Terry said club member Jim Dooley came up with the idea, but gave the students free rein as to the design and construction of the box. The students said they appreciated being able to build something that will benefit others.
“It makes me feel good about myself that I can help people out,” junior Gaige Shelton said. “It’s pretty cool.”
Terry said it was a perfect project for his class.
“They got some job-ready skills and at the same time gave back to the community,” he said.
Hagy told the students, “This will help people around the world and we thank you very much for building it for us.”
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Carbondale Lions Club President Brad Hagy (far left) is joined by Carbondale Community High School Instructor Dallas Terry and carpentry students (from left) Ty Doan, Gaige Shelton, Eduardo Llamas, Terry and Nathan Weiss. Students in Terry's carpentry classes designed and built the custom eyeglass donation box for the club.
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