Eggs for kidneys: Lions Club donates to dialysis

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Eggs for kidneys: Lions Club donates to dialysis
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
By Magdalene Biesanz

The Le Mars Area Dialysis Services is $1,000 closer to helping clean people's blood.

Recently, the Le Mars Lions Club handed that check to the Le Mars Area Dialysis (LADS) board.

The club donated proceeds from its Fall Omelet Dinner, held Oct. 30.

They served 286 omelets and raised $1,000 for dialysis.

"We thought it was a worthwhile cause," Lions Club President Rob Bixenman said.

Another local service club challenged the other clubs to donate $1,000 to LADS, so the Lions decided to answer that call, Bixenman added.

With this donation, the total raised for the dialysis center is around $635,000.

"It's steadily coming in," said LADS board member Kirk Klohs. "The board decided that in February at the Valentine's Dance we're hoping to bring this all to an end."

Last year, the first annual Valentine's Day dance was held in Le Mars to bring in donations.

The total dollar amount needed to build the dialysis center is approximately $1.2 million. However, that number may change because the architect who was earlier working with the LADS board stepped down from the project. The board is now awaiting cost estimates from a new architect.

Once the money is raised, Klohs said, the center could be up and running in about six months.

"We have to come up with a lot of money; we've gotta get everyone together to get it done," he said.

The LADS board, he said, has seen people and groups from all over the area step forward to help with the project.

"It's something for Le Mars that's desperately needed," Klohs said. "A lot of people in Le Mars have to drive to Sioux City three times a week. We want to keep them in Le Mars."

http://www.lemarssentinel.com/story/1480862.html