On April 7, St. Augustine Elks Lodge Exalted Ruler, Joseph Smith, left, presents a $1,500 check to David Patrick, St. Augustine Yacht Club Commodore (right), to support the new Youth Sailing Center at Salt Run.
For the first time, the lodge exceeded $100,000 in charitable donations during the 2022-2023 year, and just $10,000 of this was grant money. In recent years, the lodge has established a series of successful fundraising events, leading to more dollars for investment into the St. Augustine community. Smith believes it is only "the tip of the iceberg" of more to follow. The lodge hopes to be seen as a major player in the continued growth and success of St. Augustine and St. Johns County. A total of $106,915.83 was issued to more than 30 entities last year, including Wildflower Clinic, R.B. Hunt School, Florida School for the Deaf and Blind, Gamble Rodgers Festival, SAYC Youth Sailing Program, Hope For Vets, Marine Corp League, St. Johns Veteran Council, St. Johns County Schools, Boys and Girls Club, Firefighters for Families, YMCA, and many others.