Zinn wins prestigious Lions Club award
The Cambria Lions Club has presented past President Andy Zinn with the Melvin Jones Fellowship Award.
Lions Clubs worldwide recognize outstanding members by bestowing on them an award named for Melvin Jones, who founded the service club in 1917. Many consider the international award to be the highest form of recognition for Lions who embody humanitarian ideas consistent with the nature and purpose of the nonprofit.
Zinn said a club wishing to honor a member in this manner raises money in that person’s name. The funds are donated to Lions Club International to honor the member.
According to information provided by his wife, Cori Zinn, the honoree was president of the Cambria Lions for three years. Within the past year, he brought 13 new members into the fold.
Andy Zinn’s award, given Feb. 23, is based on his work spearheading the club’s:
▪ Yearly donations to Cambria Youth Athletic Association and Cambria Education Foundation.
▪ Funding algebra and environmental sciences for Santa Lucia Middle School in 2014.
▪ Funding Ayen Johnson’s high school computer summer class for the past two years.
▪ Identifying the need for a STEM center (science, technology, engineering and math) at the high school, and getting the Lions to fund it.
▪ Grant for the high school librarian.
▪ Building a baseball shed at the high school.
▪ Giving a $500 yearly donation for students to attend Rancho El Chorro.
▪ Giving a $500 yearly donation for high school drama club.
▪ Awarding a $1,000 Lions Gold Sponsorship for the high school Booster Club.
▪ Providing annual funding for Math Counts Competition at the middle school.
Zinn is a financial adviser who is opening his own office in Cambria, having had one in Paso Robles. His family includes three children, two daughter-in-laws and two grandchildren with two more on the way. He assists Coast Union baseball coach Brian Machado.
Cori Zinn said, “Andy feels by coaching, he is giving back and keeping the memory of his own high school baseball coach alive, by mentoring and teaching the kids today, as his former coach did for him.”
She also said, “Being Lions’ president gave Andy the confidence to get out into the community and help make a difference. Knowing he had this organization behind him, and all these great men behind him, helped Andy bring the club into the 21st century.
Less than 1 percent of 1.3 million Lions worldwide have received the award. Past Cambria recipients, Zinn said, include Norm Palmer, Bud Goff, John Tays, Bob Lane, Marshall Gilston, Greg Bates, Glenn Bakery, Jim Bevan and Jim Bahringer.
This story was originally published March 2, 2016 at 10:46 AM with the headline "Zinn wins prestigious Lions Club award."