Southwest Central District

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Written by Tony Bonacum

This year, Lakeland Elks Lodge #1291 awarded scholarships totaling $14,600 to 11 high school seniors from the Lakeland, Florida, area. These awards are based on the students’ academic performance, community service contributions, extracurricular involvement, demonstrated leadership abilities and financial need. The awards dinner that had been scheduled for April was not held due to the pandemic. The recipients are as follows: Tre’Lyssa J. Bivens, $1,000, Harrison School for the Arts; Dania R. Flood, $1,000, Chain of Lakes Collegiate High School; Olivia L. Milam, $1,000, International Baccalaureate at Bartow High School; Lorienne J. Pezzani, $1,000, George W. Jenkins Senior High School; Gabriela Rosario Shamblin, $1,000, Kathleen Senior High School; Haleigh A. Brannen, $1,400, Lakeland Christian School; Rachel E. Williams, $1,400, Winter Haven Senior High School; Caroline F. Chambers, $1,400, Lakeland Senior High School; Marie Crosby, $1,400, Harrison School for the Arts; Knox D. Gibson, $2,000, Lakeland Christian School; and Rodrigo I. Salinas, $2,000, Harrison School for the Arts. Salinas is also receiving a $4,000 Most Valuable Student Scholarship from the Elks National Foundation. Over the past seven years, Lakeland Lodge has awarded 77 scholarships to area high school seniors totaling $81,350.

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Written by Brandon Elks

On June 19, Marissa Ciesla, a 2009 Brandon Elks Lodge $1,000 scholarship recipient, successfully defended her thesis to obtain her doctorate. She will graduate in August with her doctorate in biomedical sciences with a focus on neuroscience. Each year the lodge hosts a banquet recognizing outstanding high school seniors in their area and awards students with scholarships. Usually the lodge receives thank-you letters and never hears from these students again. Ciesla was the exception. In 2011 upon turning 21, she joined Brandon Lodge and became the youngest member of the lodge at that time. She is also the only scholarship recipient to have ever joined the lodge. She graduated from Brandon Senior High School in 2009 where she was president of her senior class. In 2012 she received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of South Florida in biomedical sciences with minors in psychology and biomedical physics. In 2014 she continued her education at the University of South Florida obtaining a Master of Science degree in medical sciences with a concentration in neuroscience. In 2015 she entered the College of Medicine’s graduate program in biomedical sciences at the University of Florida. During her doctorate research, she studied therapies to enhance serotonergic reinnervation of motor nuclei after cervical spinal cord injury which is a way of improving the breathing ability of people with a damaged spinal cord in their neck. She also authored and published five papers in support of her research. Other achievements include the McKnight Brain Institute Fellowship, the Bryan Robinson Endowment, the Toffler Leadership Award, the Caroline tum Suden Opportunity Award, the International Symposium on Neural Regeneration Travel Award and the Respiration Section Trainee Poster Presentation Award. Her father is an officer and is on the lodge board and her mother was last year’s and is this year’s president of the Brandon Ladies organization. Her father notes, “Terri and I (Ed) became members of the lodge because of the scholarship. When we walked into the event hall for the scholarship banquet, it just felt like home to us. So we asked PER Kim Martinez about membership and she sponsored us. The scholarship program is the whole reason we are involved as Elks.”

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Written by Judy Wise

On Jan. 25, Plant City Elks Lodge volunteers partnered with The Wooden Spoon, Universal Tire and Auto Repair, the Plant City Police Department, and the community for a barbecue lunch to raise funds for the Plant City Police Department to participate in the Police Unity Tour. The Police Unity Tour is a yearly event that starts 250 miles outside Washington, D.C., in Virginia and ends at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. There is a fee to ride in this tour. The primary purpose of the tour is to raise awareness of law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty; the secondary purpose is to raise funds for the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. The event raised over $5,000 which will be used to cover the $2,000 entry fee for each of the two Plant City officers riding, and $1,000 will be donated to maintain and enlarge the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. Two of the four barbecue organizers were lodge members George Domedian and Judy Wise, and 15 lodge volunteers participated. With the help of off-duty officers, the “drive-through” pickup of a barbecue lunch at The Wooden Spoon restaurant went smoothly. The giant law enforcement flag was displayed by Brewington Towing.

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Written by Judy Wise

Plant City Lodge Americanism chairman, Ed Wise, and member J.J. Calhoun keep watch for torn or faded American flags flying at homes around Plant City, Fla. When one is found, they meet with the owner or leave a letter written on lodge letterhead informing them of an offer to replace the worn flag with a new one. When the offer has been accepted, they make the replacement. They offer this service to veterans, the elderly and low-income folks.  

Calhoun is pictured.

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Written by Sebring Elks

On Dec. 20, Sebring Lodge presented the Hartland Horses & Handicap organization a check for $2,000 from the Elks National Foundation Gratitude Grant. Hartland Horses & Handicap is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to use horses “to challenge perceived limitations of children and adults with disabilities that help them learn and grow while improving their lives.” Pictured are Hartland board member Mary Moll; lodge member and volunteer, Cheryl Paplaskas; board member Bonnie Williamson; Exalted Ruler, Ken Hedges; and board member Claire Langway.