North Central District

Details

Written by Tracy Stockel

At Ocala Lodge’s monthly first responders appreciation dinner, Exalted Ruler, Mike Miller, and Loyal Knight, Captain Mike Rolls, presented Belleview officers Stephan Michaelides and Casey Polidori with awards. These officers responded to a call and were fired upon. They immediately took up tactical positions to engage the shooter. The shooter took his own life as the officers approached him. It is said that courage is not the absence of fear but the ability to act in the face of it.

Officers Stephan Michaelides, with his wife, Lupe, and Casey Polidori, with his fiancé, Amy, receive awards from Ocala Lodge for their courage under fire.

Details

Written by Tracy Stockel

Ocala Lodge used their Elks National Foundation Promise Grant to host a Christmas party for 25 children who are not living with their families. These children live at a group home called the Arnett House. Each child received a stocking, several gifts, had a delicious dinner, and enjoyed Christmas music and karaoke with a DJ. Pictured at the party are Santa and Mrs. Claus (PER George Cooke and his wife, Agnes). The reindeer and elf are the lodge Esquire’s children, Amelia and Byron.

Details

Written by Patsy Despain

Eustis Lodge used a $2,500 Elks National Foundation Promise Grant and a $2,500 Elks National Foundation Gratitude Grant to provide more than 1,200 books (all stamped with “Donated by Eustis Elks Lodge”) to three elementary schools. This was the 11th year the lodge gave a dictionary to each of the third-graders at Treadway Elementary and the seventh year they gave a thesaurus to all their fourth-graders. Three years ago, they included Eustis Heights Elementary and at the same time added a novel for all fifth-graders which was written by a local author. A group of about 30 students from each school were chosen to meet the author and discuss her process for writing the book. The lodge also sponsored a writing contest to encourage more writing. For the past three summers, the lodge has used grant money to buy books for leisure reading for all summer-school students to encourage them to share the joy of reading with their parents and siblings. In the fall, they added students from Triangle Elementary to their book-giving program.

Details

Written by Patsy Despain

On Nov. 16, Eustis Lodge volunteers smoked, wrapped and prepared 181 turkeys for delivery to nine schools for families in need.

Details

Written by Jan Belland

Students from Lecanto Middle School placed in the Inverness Lodge-sponsored drug awareness essay contest. Pictured are Lodge Drug Awareness Chairman, Jim Manos; Principal of Lecanto Middle School, Inge Frederick; first-place winner, Cassidy Struble; third-place winner, Ava Rueck; and SRD Deputy, Joseph Gentile. Not pictured is second-place winner, Christian Halle.