Palmerton Lions Club will present eight monetary donations to area non-profit organizations during"Community Spirit Night on Monday, May 2. The awards will be presented at a special dinner at the Fireline Hotel in Bowmanstown.

"Money raised at the club's waffle and ice cream stand at the Carbon County Fair held each August and the Palmerton Community Festival held each September enables the Palmerton Lions to give back to the community we serve, while meeting the pressing needs of several non-profit organizations," noted program chairperson Alicia Silliman. "These awards are particularly important at a time when cuts in state and federal funding have made a significant impact on the ability of our community organizations to survive. Providing these monetary awards truly allows the Palmerton Lions Club to make a difference in our community."In addition to the eight monetary awards being given at Community Spirit Night, Community Volunteer, and Lion of the Year individuals will be named.The Palmerton Lions Club has 36 members and meets at 7 p.m. the first Monday of each month at the Palmerton Community Center on Franklin Avenue in Palmerton at and at 6:30 p.m. the third Monday of each month at the Fireline Hotel in Bowmanstown. Lions clubs are a group of men and women who identify needs within the community and work together to fulfill those needs. For more information or to get involved with the Palmerton Area Lions Club, please contact Nick Hawkey at (610) 826-6465.Lions Clubs International is the world's largest service club organization with more than 1.3 million members in approximately 45,000 clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas around the world. Since 1917, Lions clubs have aided the blind and visually impaired and made a strong commitment to community service and serving youth throughout the world. For more information about Lions Clubs International, visit the Web site at

www.lionsclubs.org.