Florida Elks News
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- Written by: Carmen Rivera
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Orlando Elks Lodge #1079 held its annual Drug Awareness poster contest, continuing its commitment to educating youth about making healthy, drug-free choices through creativity and thoughtful expression. This year’s contest included students from Waterford Elementary School and Mills Creek Elementary School. Waterford Elementary, under the leadership of Principal Daniel Arbelaez-Willis, hosted its award ceremony Dec. 16 and Mills Creek Elementary, led by Principal Seth Daub, held its award ceremony Dec. 18. These were to recognize the students’ outstanding work.
The student posters reflected a powerful understanding of the long-term consequences of drug use, especially impressive given the participants’ young ages, ranging from 8 to 11 years old.
First-place winner, Celestia A. Lee, a fourth grade student from Waterford Elementary, created a striking image depicting a man who had fallen into drug use and found himself in a grave, symbolizing that it was too late to undo the damage. Above him, she illustrated what he dreamed his life could have been — a peaceful tropical vacation — representing the life lost to addiction. Her artwork conveyed how easily people can fall into drugs and how quickly poor choices can spiral out of control, wasting opportunities and dreams.
Second place winner, Angela Gonzalez, a fifth grade student from Mills Creek Elementary, shared that her poster was inspired by someone she knows who made poor choices in life. Her message focused on the importance of making the right decisions early and choosing a healthier, happier path instead. Her artwork encouraged peers to pause, think and select a future rooted in positive choices.
Third place winner, Xesus A. Lee, a third grade student from Waterford Elementary and Celestia’s younger brother, offered another thoughtful perspective. When asked about the character in his artwork, Xesus explained that although the figure appeared to be smiling, “he is really a bad man under the sticker.” When the image was revealed, the smiling figure transformed into a skeleton attempting to give drugs away, symbolizing deception and the hidden dangers behind addiction.
The Drug Awareness poster contest continues to be one of the lodge’s most meaningful youth programs, allowing students to express complex ideas through art while reinforcing prevention and education at an early age. The lodge extends sincere appreciation to the principals, teachers, families and students who participated and congratulates this year’s winners for their honesty, creativity and powerful messages. Through programs like this, the lodge remains committed to guiding young people toward safe, informed and drug-free lives.
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- Written by: Florida Keys Elks
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On Dec. 6, Florida Keys Elks Lodge hosted its annual children's holiday party at the lodge using funds from the Elks National Foundation Beacon Grant. The party hosted 150 local children, and each child received a gift from Santa. The party included lunch and a magic show by a professional magician.
Pictured are members Kayla Devroedt, Drema Rimmel, John Rimmel and Sheryl Spear.
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- Written by: Mary Lou Scribner, PER
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Brandon Elks Lodge helped make the holidays merry for local children and families. Members adopted 33 children from 13 families for Christmas and provided presents for the children. Individual members chose a child to adopt and used the provided wish lists to shop for them. Members purchased the gifts and on Dec. 10, they gathered at the lodge to wrap the toys and clothes together. Each family also received a Christmas dinner, funded by the lodge. In addition, on Dec. 12, the lodge donated $1,000 each to Lopez Exceptional School and Limona Elementary School so that they could help some of the students’ families with Christmas.
Pictured are members at the lodge wrapping gifts and dinner baskets. Pictured at Lopez Exceptional School are Hiddie Meyer, PER Marionette Garvey, Principal Sarawanzi and Tammy Alleyn. Pictured at Limona Elementary School are PER Marionette Garvey, and Christopher Fisher, social worker.
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- Written by: Taz WrightReynolds, PER
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On Dec. 6, the Northwest District held its annual district Hoop Shoot at the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Emerald Coast in Fort Walton Beach. The first place contestants will advance and participate in the regionals.
Pictured are Tammy Eddins, Lecturing Knight, Pensacola Beach Lodge; Tom McLaughlin, PER, Esquire, Fort Walton Lodge; Marcia WrightReynolds, Exalted Ruler, Fort Walton Lodge; Michael “Taz” WrightReynolds, PER, trustee and Hoop Shoot District Chair, Fort Walton; Matt Alt, member and athletic director at Gulf Breeze High School; and Marcus Broadnax, director of Boys and Girls Clubs of the Emerald Coast. Contestants pictured in the front are Janayr Ohmit, runner-up boys 10-11; Joey Clanton, first place boys 10-11; Toby Yelton, first place boys 12-13; Griffin Lynch, runner-up boys 12-13; and Poppy Ohmit, first place girls 8-9.
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- Written by: Deborah Reedy, PER
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Throughout November and part of December, members of Jacksonville and Orange Park Elks lodges held toy drives for the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots. Three boxes of toys were collected as well as several bicycles.
Pictured is Brent Reedy, Jacksonville Lodge Exalted Ruler, dropping off toys.
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- Written by: Palmetto Elks
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On Nov. 8, Palmetto Elks Lodge #2449 donated $10,000 to the Sleep in Heavenly Peace organization, whose motto is “No Kid Sleeps on the Floor in our Town.” They build and provide beds for children throughout the nation. Children receive a bed frame, mattress, sheets, comforters and pillows. In addition, 60 lodge members from Palmetto Lodge and other Southwest District lodges helped build 20 beds.
Pictured are Cheryl Kross from SIHP; Curt Mahoney, Palmetto Lodge Exalted Ruler; Dan West, Palmetto mayor; and Rod Roderman, Bradenton Lodge member.
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On Nov. 19, Hollywood West Elks Lodge #2365 held its Hoop Shoot at the Marti Huizenga Boys and Girls Club of Broward County. The competitors, pictured with several lodge members, received trophies or ribbons for first place through fifth place in their respective age groups.
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- Written by: Cristin Rumler
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On Oct. 26, Sanford Elks took 25 veterans from the Lake Baldwin and Lake Nona VA Domiciliary programs on a chartered bus trip to the St. Johns River Eco Tours for a tour on the St. John’s River. Afterward, the veterans were treated to a private lunch held at and prepared by Winter Springs VFW Post 5405. The tour and lunch were funded by the Elks National Foundation Spotlight Grant. Since the veterans attend the lodge every month for game days, the members wanted to provide a different environment, so Donald Soderblom, Veterans, Chair, asked the VFW to participate. The veterans were also given gift cards, donated by the Oviedo Texas Roadhouse.
Pictured are veterans with Donald Soderblom, veterans on the boat and veterans at Winter Springs VFW.
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- Written by: Rita Smith, PER
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When the government reopened in November 2025, Tampa Elks Lodge #708 learned of an opportunity to use its $6,000 Elks National Foundation Spotlight Grant. Suzanne Malloy, president of Blue Star Families at MacDill AFB, was trying to give 350 military families the ingredients needed for a traditional Thanksgiving meal. Her plan was to do a drive-through event on a weekday, so the service members or their spouses could pull up in their vehicle, receive the food and move on without the need to park, walk in and shop in a store with their children. On Nov. 16, lodge members presented Malloy with the grant check, and Malloy explained to members that while it may not appear that active-duty military would need assistance, those in the lower ranks who arrived with a family were struggling in the high-cost area. The sign-up sheet was rank restricted for the first few hours. After all the lower ranked members were served, the base notified veterans who had gone unpaid that they could participate. The drive-through took place Nov. 19 and included help from 10 lodge member volunteers. The first several hours were spent sorting and packing boxes. At noon, the vehicles arrived, first a trickle, then a swarm. Each vehicle was loaded with dry goods, produce, refrigerated items, a turkey and a pumpkin pie. The last half hour was spent cleaning up. A total of 382 families received Thanksgiving meal items.
Pictured stuffing Thanksgiving cards into envelopes to be added to each bag is member Bill French. Also pictured are Kim Benzing, Treasurer; Robert Maloney Jr., Inner Guard; and Shelagh Gombarcik, PER, trustee.
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- Crestview Elks Lodge Supports First-time RAM Clinic in Crestview
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