Southeast Central District

Details

Written by Joyce Nicastro

On March 7, West St. Lucie Elks Lodge #2823 donated the remainder of its Elks National Foundation Beacon Grant, $2,233.62, to Grace Pack Food Bank to help children in St. Lucie County, Florida, who are food insecure. This pantry provides weekly bags of food to children in need.

Details

Written by Pauline Talbott

Sebastian Lodge held its 18th annual car and bike show Feb. 20 to benefit the Florida Elks Youth Camp and Florida Elks Children's Therapy Services. The event draws 200 cars annually and hundreds of spectators. This year the event involved community participation by the Sebastian Police Department COPE Unit and the Indian River County Sheriff's Department with the breast cancer awareness car and teen driver challenge. Elroy the Elk made an appearance and the Florida State Elks drug awareness trailer was on hand promoting the Drug Awareness program. The event raised $2,619.26.

Details

Written by Pauline Talbott

On Jan. 22, the EL-DOEs, which is the ladies auxiliary of Sebastian Elks Lodge #2714, hosted a sale of new and nearly new ladies’ apparel and accessories to raise funds for a scholarship for a local high school senior. The event raised nearly $600.

Pictured are auxiliary members Pam Saracene, also a lodge member; Gail Holt; Diane Lemire, also a lodge member; Mary Fox; Betty Hayes; Debbie Lawrence; and Mary Ducharme, Ladies President. The photo was taken by Pauline Talbott, Ladies Vice President, also a lodge member.

Details

Written by Tom Wojnar

Melbourne Elks Lodge #1744 used its $2,500 Elks National Foundation Gratitude Grant and partnered with the Melbourne Police to distribute food vouchers for a precooked Christmas dinner meal to 100 food-insecure families. The meals are capable of providing food for 10 people.

Pictured Dec. 10 are Dolores Casella, Exalted Ruler; Officer Shaun Hill; Lieutenant John Grinwis; Nadine Smith, Melbourne Police Foundation vice president; and Tom Wojnar, Esquire and lodge grant coordinator. The vouchers were distributed Dec. 21.

Details

Written by Rachael King

On Oct. 20 during a low country boil dinner at Viera Elks Lodge #2817, Jerry Harrington, Exalted Ruler, presented a check for $2,000 to Kristen Sydney of Genesis House from the lodge’s Elks National Foundation Beacon Grant. Genesis House is a facility that provides transitional shelter for homeless women and their children, long-term housing for student mothers and their children, and shelter for homeless pregnant women and their children.

In December, Viera Lodge members donated 48 gifts to the Brevard County Triad’s Senior Santa Project. This project’s goal is to provide holiday gifts to elderly patients in nursing homes and hospice settings, mainly to those residents who do not have much local support and would probably not receive anything for the holidays. Brevard County Triad is a countywide partnership led by the sheriff’s office, local police and the state attorney’s office, which focuses on senior issues in Brevard County.