DCI Patient Receives Distinguished Service Award
Posted in Education by Dialysis Clinic, Inc.
Congratulations to DCI East Liverpool, Ohio, patient James (Jimmy) Beckman for being honored with the Melvin Jones Fellowship Award by the Lions Clubs International Chester, W.V., chapter.
Beckman, formerly working for 30 years in sporting event and concert security, is the chapter’s chaplain. He said the welcome prayer to start the December Lions Club meeting and then was surprised to see his family walk into the room. “The president of my bank was describing the award recipient, and then I realized it was me,” Jimmy said, saying he was overwhelmed by the honor.
The Chester club honored Jimmy with a book of his Lions involvement for the past several decades, a plaque, lapel pin and congratulatory letter from Lions International.
With more than 476,000 recipients worldwide, the Melvin Jones Fellowship Award is the highest award bestowed on its Lions Clubs members who embody humanitarianism, established in 1973 to honor its founder. Each club nominates one member each year who has provided service above and beyond the normal Lion commitment.
“I’m real proud to be a member,” he said. Jimmy is a legacy Lions Club member, following in his dad’s footsteps to support his local community. Now, he’s the one getting his family involved.
This holiday season, Jimmy, his daughter and grandson gave out 100 complete turkey dinners to families in need with help from the Lions Club, local grocery store and plants supporting their employees.
The Chester Lions Club also has a Fourth of July car show and a Fireman’s Bash each fall to raise funds to support their local community. They also collect eyeglasses for recycling and updating lenses for individuals needing vision support. Jimmy also supports the West Virginia University Athletic Club, and would purchase 50 tickets for a game each season while his mom would prepare the tailgate foods for local community members.
“You have to save a reason to get up every day, be motivated to do something,” Jimmy said, who says “retiring is not in his DNA.”
Jimmy is a relatively new patient to DCI, experiencing health issues in the past year that led to him starting hemodialysis. “The whole thing with DCI has been really cool,” he said. “We really think the world of Dave,” East Liverpool’s Nurse Manager. He enjoys the clinic’s community and the opportunity to socialize with his care team and other patients.
His career is full of memorable events, including hundreds of Pittsburgh Steelers home games, providing hotel security for the National Football League AFC champion for 10 days leading up to the Super Bowl and more than 30 years working concerts at The Pavilion at Star Lake amphitheater in Burgettstown, Pa. Jimmy’s most memorable concert was Earth, Wind & Fire with Chicago, particularly when both bands’ brass sections collaborated at the end of the night with “Jimmy (Pankow of Chicago) on trombone.”
Jimmy lives in East Liverpool, Ohio, and has one daughter and son-in-law, four grandchildren and two great-grandsons.
Tags: Patient story