Southeast Central District

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Written by Vero Beach Elks

Vero Beach Elks Lodge #1774 held its 35th annual Toys for Tots dinner Dec. 10. Toys have been collected every year for 35 years, and lodge members have donated more than 350 bicycles and helmets of all sizes over the years. Various children’s toys are also collected.

Pictured are Rich Miller, PER; Victor Diaz, retired Marine; Paul Diaz, District Deputy; and Joe Palowich, Exalted Ruler.

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Written by Pauline Talbott

On Oct. 22, Sebastian Lodge held its annual golf tournament with lunch at the lodge afterward. A record-breaking total of more than $18,000 was raised to support the various charities supported by the lodge. The lodge also received several applications for membership as a result of the golf tournament.

Pictured with the sponsor banner are Bennie Colson, tournament chair, right, and his wife, Susan. Also pictured are the many chance raffle donations that were donated.

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Written by Pauline Talbott

On Oct. 15, Sebastian Elks Lodge #2714 was a sponsor of the Sebastian Police Department COPE Unit’s second annual golf tournament, with a $1,200 donation. In addition, several lodge members participated as registered golfers and provided two volunteers from the lodge and Ladies auxiliary to assist with ticket sales for mulligans and raffles. The mission of the COPE Unit is to create partnerships between the community and the Sebastian Police Department, to develop and employ proactive crime prevention strategies, and to promote the department’s resources to the community. The unit hosts events throughout the city where members meet with citizens, distribute crime prevention materials and build relationships to create a lasting environment of cooperation between the police and the citizens. The EL-DOEs, which is the lodge’s Ladies auxiliary, also launched sales of a lottery board raffle, with all proceeds going to the Sebastian Police Department’s Shop-with-a-Cop program. 

Pictured are Pauline Talbott, Lodge Drug Awareness Education Chair and EL-DOEs co-director, and Mary Ducharme, EL-DOEs Treasurer, along with some raffle items.

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Written by Jerry Harrington, PER

At Southeast Central District Vice President Jerry Harrington’s Oct. 15 visitation to Port St. Lucie Elks Lodge #2658, a bucket-drop for donations to the Elks Disaster Relief Fund was conducted. A total of $5,000 was collected and mailed to the Florida State Elks Association office to be added to the fund to assist victims of Hurricane Ian.

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Written by Tom Wojnar

On Oct. 5, Melbourne Elks Lodge #1744 used an Elks National Foundation Beacon Grant along with a matching Florida State Elks Association grant to donate $8,000 to the Brevard branch of the Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida. This donation provided 42,100 pounds (over 21 tons) of food that was distributed to 35 food pantries/kitchens in the Melbourne and Palm Bay areas.

On Oct. 12, Melbourne Lodge used an Elks National Foundation Gratitude Grant to donate $3,000 to the Melbourne Police Foundation to purchase 50 food vouchers for precooked meals for families that are food insecure. Each of the 50 vouchers will feed 10 people for a total of 500 meals.