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Florida Elks News Editor:
Rachael King
 
Entire contents copyright 2023 by the
Florida State Elks Association Inc.
P.O. Box 49
Umatilla, FL 32784-0049
352-669-9443

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   1912 cg 1912 cg2

On Feb. 23, Holiday Isles Elks Lodge #1912 presented a $5,520 donation to the Seminole High School Color Guard (SHSCG). These students have been servers for lodge events since they were in middle school. The lodge learned of a shortage in their annual donations and donated $5,000 from the charity account. The rest was donated by lodge members.

Pictured during a practice session for a state competition are color guard members Sophia Ridge, Gracie Evans, Lauren Basara, Arianna Rosado, Aubrey Murray, Selene Levith, Savannah Smith, Ava Engelberger, Hailey Westfall, Ella Picion, Maddie Vinci, Christina Hills, Tanner Diederich, Arianna Sterling and Courtney Kirouac. Also pictured are Paul Smith, incoming Exalted Ruler; Rhonda Smith, PER, District Vice President-elect; and members Regan Zink and Kristin Baker.

 

708 dics

On March 2, Tampa Lodge donated a Webster’s Dictionary and Thesaurus to each third grade student at Holy Trinity Lutheran School in Tampa, Florida. The dictionaries were purchased during the pandemic and could not be distributed when planned. The students were surprised to be allowed to put their name in the book and were excited to read the definitions, synonyms and antonyms. Lodge trustee Loyd Moore handed out the dictionaries while Rita Smith, Exalted Ruler, had the students look up three words.

Pictured are the students with Taylor Meyer, third grade teacher; Loyd Moore, lodge trustee; and Kelly Reilly, principal.

 

                                        708 camp 2 708 camp 3 

708 camp

Students of Club Chivalry, a high school group sponsored by Tampa Lodge, took a field trip to the Florida Elks Youth Camp (FEYC) Feb. 16. Joining the 29 students were Elks Mike Volpe; Robert Maloney Jr.; Melissa Bertoch; Caroline Hand, teacher and club sponsor; and Rita Smith, Exalted Ruler. Before the bus ride, each student was given a Drug Awareness bag filled with a red ribbon and snacks. After about two hours, they arrived at the camp and went to the ropes course shelter, where they were met by three FEYC staff facilitators. After instructions, the students were taken in one group to start working on low element teamwork. They were passing a large loop rope with the directions and instructions changing every few minutes. Then, they were divided into three groups, where they had to either run through a moving jump rope, balance on a long pivot platform, or reverse a tarp, all as a team of about 10. Each time one failed, they all had to start over, so team strategy was on full display. After 20 minutes or so, they were divided into two teams that had to compete in a hilarious game involving jumping through hula hoops and playing Rock Paper Scissors with the goal of one whole team changing sides. At 12:30 they had lunch in the pavilion. Afterward, the students were again divided into two groups and outfitted in harnesses and helmets for the high elements. One group did an exercise in which they pulled a classmate into the air by using a pulley; then the classmate was released for a wild swinging ride through the sky. They were then slowly lowered until they could be caught by the instructors on the ground, brought to an upright position and lowered some more until their feet were on the ground. The other group was climbing a pole tower that was at least four stories high, using rock wall pieces as climbing steps. When they got as high as they dared go, they rappelled down. Most made it to the very top. This one took an incredible amount of upper body strength. After each student had completed their assigned teamwork, they switched activities so everybody who wanted to give it a try did both of the high elements. On the trip home, they had dinner from Subway.

 

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On Jan. 22, St. Petersburg Lodge held its annual flag retirement ceremony, led by St. Petersburg Boy Scout Troop 209. Flags were provided by lodge members and nonmembers from the troop. The scouts demonstrated the proper way to retire an American flag and explained why they are retired this way. Lodge members and guests were invited to participate. 

 

708 pta

On Feb. 1, Tampa Elks Lodge #708 donated $1,000 from its Elks National Foundation Gratitude Grant to the Robles Elementary PTSA (Parent Teacher Student Association) to improve the faculty lounge in an effort to improve morale. The school is on its third principal of the year. 

Pictured at the check presentation are Camden Lynn, Leading Knight; Crystal Johnson, one-year trustee; Bonnie James, Robles PTSA president; and Dr. Christine Harris, new principal. 

 

1224 music

On the second Sunday every month, St. Petersburg Elks Lodge #1224 holds a Jukebox Mania music bingo event to benefit the Harry-Anna Trust Fund. The game is hosted by lodge member Martin Brinkley of Batman Media. The host has a screen set up to display 30-second music videos (with the name of the song and artist shown). Players’ bingo cards have song names instead of numbers and members sing along while daubing the songs on their bingo cards. On Jan. 8, the first game of 2023 was enjoyed by more than 80 players, who donate $5 to play three games, and $410 was raised. Prizes for each game are given as a $10 lodge gift card.

 

708

On Dec. 16, Tampa Elks Lodge #708 collected hundreds of toys from Walgreens collection boxes from the Walgreens-Elks Community Gift Drive. With the toys, they stocked a “store” during the lodge’s Christmas party for local children in need. Patty Volpe, Youth Activities Chair, maintains a database of families in need and had an impressive number of families, including some large foster families, respond with an RSVP. The children enjoyed a parade, played games and won prizes, had a photo visit with Santa, made pirate-themed crafts, and sang songs. They also enjoyed spaghetti, salad, applesauce and ice cream. Meanwhile, one adult from each family visited the staged store and “shopped” for presents for age-appropriate gifts for their children. Those presents were wrapped by volunteers for the Academy of the Holy Names Rowing Club, placed in a large black sack, and hustled out to the parking lot to be stowed in trunks. Each child received approximately five gifts. Some families even won a bike as part of a raffle. There were about 150 children and adults involved.

Pictured are Santa (George Hilficker, House Committee Chair) and Adonis.

 

1224 drive thru

St. Petersburg Lodge #1224 held a toy drive-thru Dec. 17. Four hundred vehicles came through and 1,000 gifts were given out.

Pictured are Jaymi Lester, Chris Olivia, Jessica Sites and Lakia Lancaster, Walgreens managers from District 642, and Chuck Pappas, 642 district manager.

 

1912 fall

Holiday Isles Elks Lodge #1912 held a creative fundraising event to increase its number of Harry-Anna Trust Fund sustaining donors for the Florida Elks major projects. It was called “Fall for Harry-Anna” and was an anything-pumpkin cook-off. There were 14 dishes to taste and judge. Fall-themed baskets were and will be raffled off as different levels are reached. Four donors signed up during the event. Since the event, they have met the 25 donors goal and will raffle off a basket at the next orientation meeting.

Pictured are Jeff Rumler, PDD, Harry-Anna Trust Fund State Chair; Dan Masi, PER, FSEA Development Director; Carl Seibert, PDD, COO/State Secretary; Rhonda Smith, PER, District Harry-Anna Trust Fund Chair; Renee Singer, Lodge Harry-Anna Trust Fund Chair; and Sheila Tortorigi, Lodge Harry-Anna Trust Fund Vice Chair. They were very impressed with the lodge’s renewed energy toward gaining sustaining donors.

 

1224 dep

St. Petersburg Elks Lodge #1224 held a fundraiser Nov. 11 for the family of fallen Pinellas County Police Deputy Michael Hartwick, who was killed in the line of duty. The event raised $3,000.

Pictured are lodge members Patrick Mulligan, retired Pinellas County Deputy Sheriff; Eric Loveday, Pinellas County Deputy Sheriff; and Doug Breyette. 

 

1224

On Dec. 16, members of St. Petersburg Elks Lodge #1224 filled 332 Christmas food bags to help 1,328 adults and children in need for the holidays. Funds were used from the $2,500 Elks National Foundation Gratitude Grant and $2,500 of Florida State Elks Association matching Beacon Grant funds. The total value of the bags was $9,420. Heidi Green, Leading Knight, organized the event.

Members are pictured with the bags.

 

1719 cops

On Nov. 28, Tarpon Springs Elks Lodge #1719 used its $6,000 Elks National Foundation Beacon Grant to support the Tarpon Springs Cops ‘n Kids program with a fun day at the youth center, put on by 20 Elks volunteers. The program is a free after-school program committed to empowering children and teens for lifelong success and greater quality of life. Officer Quinones of the Tarpon Springs Police Department is the program director. At the event, each child was given a personal hygiene kit and a lunchbox to fill with healthy snacks and drinks. The children made thank-you cards for veterans, worked on arts and crafts, and enjoyed pizza. Chief Young from the Tarpon Springs Police Department was also at the event. Bob Gorby, PER presented Officer Quinones an Elks appreciation award and two checks — one for $1,500 for the program for children with special needs and one for $1,500 for sports equipment needed at the center.

Pictured are Paula Twaits, grant chair; Lee Twaits; Officer Quinones; Carol Janisz; Chief Young; Nancy Gorby and Bob Gorby.