Southwest District

Details

Written by JoAnn Reddy

EFELT (Elks Feeding Empty Little Tummies) is the corroboration between Bradenton and Lakewood Ranch-Sarasota lodges. Their mission is to provide weekend meals during the school year to children who are disadvantaged. Combined, they feed 494 children from 13 schools. Funds from the Elks National Foundation $2,000 Spotlight Grant, $2,500 Gratitude Grant and $4,000 Beacon Grant are used to purchase food and supplies. Each week, volunteers from both lodges buy food, stock two EFELT pantry sites, bag food items and deliver them to the schools for children to take them home. They provide two breakfasts, two lunches and two dinners. Additional money is collected from lodge fundraisers and numerous donors.

Lakewood Ranch-Sarasota Lodge volunteers are pictured Nov. 15 at their storage site in a room donated by the local YMCA.

Bradenton Lodge volunteers are pictured Dec. 6 at their storage site in a room donated by the lodge.

Details

Written by Rachael King

Parrish Elks Lodge #2889 member Vincent Como Jr., son of PSP Vincent and Lisa Como, participated and completed the Honolulu Marathon in Hawaii Dec. 8. His wife, Tracy, found the race on the internet and because it was in Hawaii, they thought it would be a fun idea for their 10th wedding anniversary. He ran it in 5:04. His wife and two older children Jordan and Jadyn all ran a 10K simultaneously with the marathon. He trained for several months, running five days a week, but found the terrain to be very different in Hawaii than in Florida.

Details

Written by JoAnn Reddy

On Oct. 28, Venice-Nokomis Elks Lodge #1854 donated $2,000 from its Elks National Foundation Beacon Grant to Saint Mary's Academy. The donation is to help feed the students. Bruce Shelley, Exalted Ruler, and first lady, Cathy Ferney, toured the school and learned about the students with special needs.

Pictured are Shelley and Ferney with Connie Taft of Saint Mary's Academy.

Details

Written by Parrish Elks

On Nov. 2, Parrish Elks Lodge #2889 held its second Hoop Shoot at the New Hope Baptist Church in Parrish. They had nine children participate, with four moving on to the district Hoop Shoot in Sarasota.

Pictured in the back are Mike Carter, Lodge Secretary; Anthony D'Abbraccio, Exalted Ruler; Dave McCarthy, Hoop Shoot Chair; and Matt Carter, Leading Knight. The winners holding trophies are Caleb Bailey, 8-9 boys; Justus Riddle, 10-11 boys, Caleb Riddle, runner-up 10-11 boys; Lucca Tuccy, runner-up 12-13 boys; Jaxsen Jimenez, 12-13 boys; and Isabella Saboya, 10-11 girls. Additional participants were Daniel Ramirez, Ryan Alvarado and Levi Riddle.

Details

Written by Manasota Elks

Manasota Lodge donated cereal June 24 to The Food Bank of Manatee for their summer’s cereal drive. On Fridays during the summer months, the food bank provides Food 4 Families bags at break spots to families in need of vital nutrition. These bags contain breakfast, lunch and dinner to feed a family of four two or more days, keeping these families fed through the weekend during the nine-week summer break. The lodge placed the food bank’s yellow barrel in the lodge for collecting the boxes. To date, the barrel has been filled three times and they’re still donating.

Pictured are Wanda Burke, Activities Committee Chair, and Justin Eveland, Exalted Ruler.

Details

Written by Manasota Elks

Fifth grade students from Abel Elementary School participated in the Americanism essay contest, with 32 essays submitted to Ken Davis, Manasota Elks Lodge Americanism Chair. The top three essays were written by Khloe, Aylin and Jahmeiyer, and Khloe’s was forwarded by the district to the state level. On April 5, Justin Eveland, Exalted Ruler, and Diane Davis, trustee, presented awards and gift cards to the three students.

Pictured are Diane Davis, trustee; Jahmeiyer; Justin Eveland, Exalted Ruler; Khloe; Mary Dalton, fifth grade teacher; and Samantha Webb, principal.