Northwest District

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Written by Bud Tipton

On Aug. 26, Crestview Lodge made a monetary donation as well as a donation of books and supplies to Feed Fosters, an organization that helps feed foster families in northwest Florida. Along with donating the lodge’s $2,500 Elks National Foundation Gratitude Grant, the lodge gifted 17 copies of “What Happened to You? Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing,” by Oprah Winfrey and Bruce Perry, MD, PhD. Additionally, they donated 500 bags to assist with food delivery and storage which included thick plastic shopping bags with handles and a cardboard bottom, merchandise bags, food service bags, takeout bags and gift bags. Savannah Cox, assistant director of Feed Fosters, accepts the check from Bud Tipton, Exalted Ruler. According to https://www.feedfosters.org/, Feed Fosters began providing meals to foster families April 12, 2020. “We saw it as an opportunity to support local restaurants during the Coronavirus pandemic by purchasing all the event meals directly from them.”

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Written by Bud Tipton

Crestview raised $500 for the Brotherhood Ride for their 22-day bicycle trip from Naples, Florida, to ground zero in New York, honoring Florida’s fallen first responders and all first responders who died from 9/11-related illnesses. The check was mailed to them Aug. 6. Donations were given by lodge veterans for first gentleman Joey Simonelli’s pin, and the lodge donated the rest. Simonelli “wanted to do a patriotic pin, as his father is a retired law enforcement officer, and to mark the 20th anniversary of 9/11. Plus, Joey loves the to support the Brotherhood Ride. As we travel, he passes out his pins and they are attached to a card with a QR code on it, so if people want to support the Brotherhood Ride, they can,” said State President, Suzi Simonelli.

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Written by Taz WrightReynolds, PER

Fort Walton Elks Lodge #1795 celebrated its dock restoration and reopening after its damage from 2020’s Hurricane Sally with a community ribbon-cutting ceremony Aug. 13. The lodge welcomed the Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce ambassadors and the Elks family. This event kicked off a very successful weekend which opened the lodge doors to the community to show them what Elks are all about. Throughout the weekend there was entertainment, food and fun for all. Current members, new members, transfer members and future members were in attendance all three days. Lodge Exalted Ruler, Taz WrightReynolds, PER, commented, “I am so excited about our leadership team coming together with the community and making this event a huge success. The festivities lasted until weekend end with the famous Dusty’s shrimp country low boil. The dock is up and ready for Elks to visit by boat. The lodge is located on the wonderful and beautiful Okaloosa Island right on Choctawhatchee Bay.” Pictured at the opening are the Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce ambassadors and lodge officers and members.

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Written by Bud Tipton

On March 27, Crestview Elks Lodge #2624 had the drug trailer at the annual Crestview Triple B BBQ Festival. They partnered with the Crestview Area Youth Association (CAYA), a local youth football and cheer organization for children ages 5-12, and Crestview’s wrestling club. All three organizations had a booth and Elroy the Elk visited with many children and took photos. The three groups also shared a dunk booth. It was $5 for three throws and the dunk tank was a CAYA and wrestling fundraiser. Anyone who threw at the dunk tank receive a drug awareness sticker and ribbon from the Elks. They gave out 200 stickers and ribbons. They also passed out lodge information and secured two membership applications.

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Written by Harriet Gossett

On March 12, Pensacola Beach Lodge presented a $2,500 donation to the Salvation Army from the lodge charity account for the Salvation Army Food Bank. Pictured are Cap Pratt, PDD, lodge trustee, and Mattie Broxton, Social Services Coordinator of the Salvation Army in Milton, Florida.

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Written by Harriet Gossett

Pensacola Beach Lodge made a $3,000 donation from its charity account to Children in Crisis Inc. Feb. 15. Children in Crisis is a nonprofit organization of caring people working together to provide homes and keeping brothers and sisters together. Through their program, The Children’s Neighborhood, they provide homes in a residential, home-style environment to community children who have been abused, neglected and abandoned. Their campus, located in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, is now built up of an emergency shelter, five-family foster homes, and Opportunity Home with eight studio apartments for young adults who age out of foster care. Pictured at the Children in Crisis campus are Dan Smith, Exalted Ruler; Ken Hair, President of Children in Crisis; and Darrell Gossett, Lecturing Knight.