West Central District

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Written by Rita Smith

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Tampa Elks Lodge #708 uses its Elks National Foundation Impact Grant for Club Chivalry for Successful Students, a high school club started by and sponsored by Elks. There is a new club sponsor this year – Caroline Hand. Summer is usually slow, but in August, four Elks went to the school prior to the start of the school year to help Ms. Hand inventory her supplies. The first club meeting was Sept. 16, and Ms. Hand said, “The meeting was AMAZING.” It was her first time seeing the Elks and the students interact. PERs Shelagh Gombarcik and Dee Cisneros did the heavy lifting and got the refreshments out of the walk-in cooler and into the school. Treasurer, Laura Jones, was there as the guest speaker. Helpers Carolyn Miller, Elma Kelly and Linda Peterson distributed refreshments and handled the door prizes. Also in September, there was a field trip to USF. The students toured the campus and dorms and had lunch in the Marshall Center. Forty students made the trip with three Elks among the chaperones. Tampa Elks also provided refreshments before the bus left the high school in the morning.

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Written by Chris Hayes

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On Sept. 22, Seminole Lodge Exalted Ruler, Chris Hayes, and the lodge invited the Seminole Chiefs under-12 football team and cheerleaders to the lodge for a special presentation of two checks totaling $750. An additional $100 from members was raised after an amazing performance of dance and cheers.

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Written by Chris Hayes

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On Sept. 8, Seminole Elks Lodge #2519 hosted a spaghetti dinner for The Movement School, a nonprofit organization that provides physical and occupational therapy free of charge in the community. All food was donated by the lodge and more than 120 dinners were sold, raising $1,657 for the school. The lodge is excited about this new partnership to show that “Elks Care and Elks Share.”

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Written by New Port Richey Elks

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On June 27, New Port Richey Elks Lodge member Lyn Dexter held a fundraiser at a meeting of the West Coast Claims Association which consists of independent insurance adjusters and raised $275 for Elks National Foundation. Pictured are Brenda Jones, secretary of the association; Lyn Dexter, president; Marilee Mills, PER who received the donation on behalf of the lodge; and Ramon Flores, vice president.

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Written by May Graci

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On Sept. 24, St. Petersburg Lodge donated $1,000 to Azalea Youth Soccer. The home fields for the program are located at the Walter Fuller Soccer Complex in St. Petersburg, Fla. The lodge is a gold sponsor of the Azalea Youth Soccer League and the funds are used to sponsor three teams. Azalea Youth Soccer uses the funds for whichever teams don’t have sponsors for uniforms. The league’s recreational soccer program is for boys and girls of all skill levels ages 2-18. The soccer program is intended to teach the game of soccer while building players’ skills in an environment that encourages an understanding of sportsmanship and teamwork.

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Written by May Graci

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On the third Monday of the month from April through September, St. Petersburg Lodge donated the use of its pool to Boy Scout Troop #334 and averaged 30-36 participants. On the third Tuesday of the month from April through September, Boy Scout Troop #305 used the pool and averaged 13-15 participants. Both troops not only held their meetings pool side but also swam in order to earn their swim merit badges. The goal is to teach scouts to swim with greater ease and efficiency as well as to keep them safe in and around the water. To earn the Eagle Scout award, a scout must earn a swimming, cycling or hiking merit badge.

St. Petersburg Lodge also donated the use of their pool on alternating Thursdays from April through September to St. Petersburg’s Police Athletic League (PAL) youth programs on a monthly basis. An average of 25-27 at-risk youth had a kids day at the pool during each visit. St. Petersburg’s PAL mission is crime prevention through athletics. PAL serves youth ages 5-18 through various programs and creates a safe space for youth to develop healthy lifestyles, foster good relationships with law enforcement and prevent crime.