Arcadia Elks Lodge #1524 partnered with the DeSoto County School District and the DeSoto County Health Department to host a back-to-school fair at the Turner Center in Arcadia, Florida, July 23. The venue’s parking lot accommodated the large turnout for the drive-thru event. More than 1,400 students received school supplies and the required headphones every student in the district needs, which plug in to their computer that they use every day. Many families cannot afford to purchase them and the school district does not provide them. So, the lodge applied for the Elks National Foundation Beacon and Gratitude grants and received $8,500. With these funds and the help of the school district’s curriculum staff, the school district purchased 1,416 headsets at a discounted price.

School supplies were donated by the DeSoto County Health Department, The Desoto County Sheriff's Department, the DeSoto County School District and all county schools, Senior Friendship Center, DeSoto Memorial Hospital, the Health Planning Council of Southwest Florida, the Salvation Army, the Department of Children and Families, and the Hanley Foundation. All Faiths Food Bank provided food.

On the Thursday and Friday before the event, volunteers from the lodge, school district and health department packed all the bags with the supplies. On Saturday morning, volunteers began to bring the bags outside at 7 a.m. The event was schedule to begin at 8 a.m., but due to the growing line of vehicles already arriving, they opened the gates at 7:30 a.m. Two lanes were formed as the parents drove through the line and volunteers handed supplies into the vehicle. Children were required to be in the vehicles so that the volunteers knew how many bags of supplies to give. Within two hours, all bags had been given. Ten lodge members as well as the school superintendent and all the principals assisted in the event.

Pictured June 28 at the check presentation to the DeSoto County School District for the headphones during a school board meeting are Dr. Bennett, school superintendent; Danny Via, school board member and lodge member; Karen Chancey, school board member; Kelly Mercer, lodge officer; Nancy Higginbotham, Exalted Ruler; Asena Mott, school board chair; and Mary Kay Burns, lodge trustee. Pictured at the event are Mary Kay Burns and Kelly Mercer with the headphones and the line of vehicles waiting for supplies.