Geoff Hopkins, Supervisor of Recreation Therapy & Creative Arts Therapy at the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital in Tampa, Florida, provided the Lakeland Elks Lodge Veterans Committee with a dream/wish list of items they wanted to assist them with their therapy and treatment of patients. On Feb. 18, lodge members delivered all the items on their wish list, which filled a trailer and totaled just over $11,100. Hopkins and his staff were speechless. The donations included various craft kits (stained glass, sewing, etc.), wooden 3D puzzles, an engraving machine, a Cricut machine, paint by number pictures, supplies to go with all the crafts, vinyl, paint, wooden squares, paintbrushes, trays, tools, jigsaw puzzles, board games, card games, an iPad rolling floor stand cart, five gooseneck floor stands for iPads, baseballs, mitts, tennis rackets and balls, basketballs, laser tag games, and disc golf. One of the staff members shared, “We are truly dumbfounded that you all gave us (therapists) so many things we can do with, and for, our veterans. We will undoubtedly have wonderful treatment interventions in the future because of your work and generosity.” The lodge purchased these items using funds raised at their November record-breaking fundraising event, which raised just over $22,000 for veterans’ causes.
Pictured in the back left are members Chuck Wolfe, Rob Swann, and Steve Masterton, PER who made the delivery. Geoff Hopkins is pictured in the front right along with some of his staff members.