On Feb. 9, the Motorcycle Riders Club of Port St. Lucie Elks Lodge #2658 presented St. Lucie County Deputy Michael Profitt a check for $1,700 which was raised in just three days. Profitt’s daughter, Jordyn, was born with a chromosome disorder. She is a student with special needs, she has limited speech and she is in the autism spectrum. She also has scoliosis and underwent cervical surgery, but after the surgery, she wasn’t moving. She had had a spinal cord stroke and is now paralyzed from the neck down. According to her father, she is responding and slowly getting off the breathing equipment for up to 3 1/2 hours at a time, so she’s showing some response to the therapy she’s receiving at the Chicago hospital that specializes in her condition. They are hoping to transfer her to an Orlando children’s hospital in March, which would be a tremendous help to the family, including financially, as it would only be 2 1/2 hours from home. Deputy Profitt has been flying to Chicago every Friday after work to be with his family and then has been flying home to be on duty Monday morning as a school resource officer. That alone is stressful, but by taking these flights, he is also risking coronavirus exposure. Once she returns to Florida, Florida Elks Children’s Therapy Services also plans to treat her.
The Motorcycle Riders Club raised this donation by placing collection jugs in the lodge as well as at the Enforcers Motorcycle Club House, which is made up of retired police, firefighters, military members, doctors and others who do a lot for the community and police officers, and at St. Lucie Draft House, a sports bar and dining establishment in town.
According to Pete Jordan, president of the riders and the lodge’s Loyal Knight, “The Enforcers Motorcycle Club members always come to our veterans’ breakfasts and support all of our functions as we do for their fundraisers….Most of the bike clubs in our area know of our club and support us as we support them. We all ride together, break bread together and mourn when one of their brothers or sisters gets killed from a bad bike accident. It’s a kind of brotherhood we all have with each other. So when I go to their club house, we are greeted with much respect; we share that respect toward their members, too….’Elks Care – Elks Share.’ We promote that motto with every endeavor we take on….As a team, we can do anything.”
On Feb. 11, Deputy Profitt came to the lodge before a meeting and thanked everyone, which was much appreciated by the members to know their efforts mattered. “This is why we do our fundraisers. To see how it impacts people’s lives is priceless,” said Jordan.
Pictured at the sheriff’s office during an emotional donation presentation are St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Major Chris Cicio; Jim Devery, sergeant-at-arms; Nelly Devery; Larry Kristiansen, road captain; Rick Rubenstein, sergeant-at-arms; St. Lucie County Deputy Michael Profitt; Pete Jordan, president; St. Lucie County Sheriff, Ken Mascara; and Tom Randazzo, vice president. Kneeling with the Elks #2658 Motorcycle Riders patch set is Jill Randazzo, secretary.