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.
On Jan. 29, the Southeast Central District hosted a fundraiser for the Army of Hope at Vero Beach Elks Lodge #1774. The Army of Hope is a charity of the Florida Elks and assists veterans and their family members financially or otherwise. The event was attended by 85 members and guests from the district lodges and included a performance by Re-Creation. After the show, the members and guests talked with the cast and posed for pictures. Everyone in the audience was impressed by this group of young entertainers and how much they care about veterans. The event raised more than $2,000.
Holley-Navarre Elks Lodge #2787 attended the annual Veterans Day remembrance ceremony at the Navarre Black Hawk Memorial Park in Navarre, Florida. Other attendees included Navarre High School Navy Jr. ROTC cadets presenting flags along with the support of Holley-Navarre Elks, Santa Rosa County Commissioners, Boy Scouts, American Legions, area businesses and local churches. The ceremony opened with a prayer, a poem reading and historical readings to remember those we have lost and to show support for those veterans still with us. Wreaths were also presented by several organizations, including the lodge.
Pictured are Jim White, Michael Blackwood, Steve Torres, Kris Kane, Donnie Eubanks, Ray Yantch, Don Cero and Ernest DalleMolle.
On Nov. 13, Sanford Elks Lodge #1241 sponsored 52 seats at a total of $500 for veterans and their families at the Seats for Soldiers Night presented by Orlando Magic, Mission Zero Actual and L3Harris at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. Seats for Soldiers honors and hosts military members and their families at an Orlando Magic game and features several activities and entertainment. Prior to the game, fallen soldiers are honored by the team holding their jerseys with each soldier’s name listed on the back.
Pictured are the jerseys, each signed by the team players.
On Jan. 25, St. Petersburg Elks Lodge #1224 donated 400 digital oral thermometers to the chemotherapy unit at the Bay Pines VA Hospital. Each chemotherapy patient takes one home and can check their temperature at home, making sure they do not have a fever. This saves them a trip if they do, because they cannot get the treatment needed at that time. The value of the thermometers is $400.
Pictured are some of the thermometers.
Orlando Elks Lodge #1079 shared its $3,500 Elks National Foundation Beacon Grant with Soldiers’ Angels (SA) in the Orlando area. Soldiers’ Angels is a national organization that assists service members and veterans and their families. The lodge earmarked $2,500 for food, which will cover about 75 pounds of food for 230 veterans’ families in January. The additional $1,000 will be used to purchase housing packs for veterans who are homeless.
Pictured Dec. 19 at the lodge for the check presentation are Christina Atkinson, SA volunteer and lodge treasurer; Denise Johns, lodge member, SA volunteer and administers the bingo program; Carol Adams, lodge member, lodge chef and SA female volunteer of the year; Judy Erickson, SA Orlando chair; and Past Exalted Rulers Mike McClay and Tony Schiappa.
In partnership with news channel 10 Tampa Bay, Brandon Elks Lodge #2383 collected $2,800 worth of toiletries and other items for the nonprofit Support the Troops. Marionette Sexton, Leading Knight, organized the collection and asked lodge members to donate some of the five most requested items by military members serving overseas in remote areas. Lodge members and Brandon Ladies of the Elks generously donated white tube socks, toothpaste, beef jerky, gum and hard candy during December. In the first week of January, a representative from 10 Tampa Bay stopped by the lodge to pick up the donations and deliver them to Support the Troops. These donations were packed in care packages and sent overseas.
On Jan. 21, veterans from the James A. Haley Domiciliary were scheduled to attend dinner at Tampa Elks Lodge #708 for the first time in almost two years. When the Omicron variant surged, the VA reinstated the quarantine, and the dinner was canceled. Rather than give up, the lodge Veterans Committee voted to provide the veterans with a pizza party as a welcome break from hospital food. Blackjack Pizza, salad and soft drinks for 18 were delivered for the veterans.
Pictured are Ryan Nitzsche, recreation director, and José Ramon, Lodge Veterans Chair.
Pictured Jan. 4 at Largo Elks Lodge #2159 are Kathryn Bursch from local news channel 10 Tampa Bay and Kathy Pollard, lodge member, with the lodge’s donations for 10 for the Troops. The lodge collected socks, candy, gum and other similar items for military members, 115 items in all.
With member donations, West Palm Beach Elks Lodge #1352 donated a $25 canteen booklet to all 90 live-in patients at the Palm Beach County Veterans Hospital Dec. 21 for the holidays.
Pictured are Mary Sassone, lodge member, presenting the gifts to Heather Murphy, chief of volunteer services.
On Dec. 10, Irene Smith and Cheryl Gumz of Lake Okeechobee Elks Lodge #2871 passed out snack packs to the veterans at the West Palm Beach VAMC.
In early December, Kristen Francks, co-chair of Lakeland Lodge’s Veterans Committee, presented $4,000 in Walmart and Publix gift cards donated by members to Mark Martin, Lakeland Veteran Center Director. The center will distribute them to their veterans in the most need.