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Written by Deborah Reedy

On Feb. 20, Jacksonville Elks Lodge #221 held its second annual military baby shower using funds from the Elks National Foundation Spotlight and Gratitude grants in the amount of $4,000. Because of the pandemic, military families are not permitted to gather in groups, so with permission from the Elks National Foundation to change the event that they had originally planned, the lodge held a drive-thru baby shower instead. Members and volunteers gathered Wednesday before the event to separate all the gifts and donations for each family. The lodge planned to help 16 families with the shower, but with the help of Blue Star Families and the USO, they were able to help 23 families! The Elks asked each family to give them their wish list of their most wanted items for their new baby, and members shopped for these items, including strollers, pack n’ plays, bassinets, baby swings, bouncers, diapers, clothing, bedding, diaper genies, cloth diapers and hygiene items. The USO provided extra diapers, wipes and a homemade blanket for each family. Lodge members were extremely generous with their gifts in the collection box, which had to be emptied several times. Approximately $660 was donated from members. Elk and event organizer, Deborah Reedy, also received donations from Camp Gladiator, a local workout group. On the morning of the event, 14 members brought balloons and hung a “Welcome” banner. Each family was assigned a time slot to come pick up their gifts. When they arrived, they were greeted at the lodge’s entrance by two members and parked under the portico with the helpful driving directions of Elroy the Elk, who also passed out special treats and drug awareness materials to the kids in the cars. The families’ gifts were loaded into their cars by more volunteers who had decorated the driveway with balloons and streamers. Elks talked to military members who had just delivered their baby or who were due to deliver in a few weeks or even days. The appreciation was very evident on every recipient’s face and in their voices. It was an extremely rewarding day with not only giving back to military families but in making a real bonding experience for Elks members! A father who stopped by for his family’s gifts is a recruiter for the U.S. Marines and he told them how he was completely amazed at what the lodge was doing for and giving to the families.

Pictured are volunteers ensuring all gifts are on the correct table; event organizer, Deborah Reedy, with Elroy the Elk; volunteers from the lodge and Blue Star Families under the event banner; and Wendy Layton of Blue Star Families; Elroy the Elk; Kalin Ford, recipient; Jim Reed, Veterans Chair; and Deborah Reedy, event coordinator.

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Written by May Graci

On March 14, St. Petersburg Elks held a spontaneous fundraiser and collected $430 for the family of fallen Tampa Police Officer Jess Madsen. He is survived by his wife and three children. Madsen, 45, was killed early March 9 when his patrol car was struck head on by a wrong-way driver on I-275 near Hillsborough Avenue just before 1 a.m. He was responding to reports of a vehicle driving in the wrong direction when he was struck by the car. Officer Madsen and the other driver were both killed in the impact. According to Police Chief Brian Dugan, witnesses said Madsen appeared to intentionally veer into the other car's path to protect others. Officer Madsen had served with the Tampa Police Department for 16 years.

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Written by Char Fisher

On Feb. 25 using funds from the Veterans Day fundraiser, Lakeland Lodge worked with the James A. Haley VA Hospital to assist them with some of their most recent needs. The lodge donated just over $5,000 worth of needed items. The Voluntary Services Department, which includes permanent patients, long-term patients and veterans who are homeless, was provided with 66 pairs of reading glasses, 46 pairs of slide sandals, 60 pairs of sweatpants, 58 sweatshirts, 76 pairs of shorts, 106 T-shirts and 34 laundry bags. The Recreational Therapy Department, which includes patients with poly trauma, spinal cord injury, dementia and Alzheimer’s, was provided with Bluetooth speakers, laser tag games, 24 packs of 24 colored pencils, eight blankets with items to fidget with for patients with memory loss; 26 large-print coloring books, 13 memory activities, eight board games, six Wii games, 40 large-print crossword puzzles and word search books, 14 paint with water books and paint brushes, and 14 large-piece wooden puzzles. All of these items will assist hundreds of veterans in their care and treatment. Pictured are Shelby Schoenborn, Voluntary Services; Steve Masterton, PER; Geoff Hopkins, Recreational Therapy Services; and John McArthur, lodge member.

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Written by Rita Smith

On Jan. 23 at 9 a.m., Tampa Elks assembled at Coleman Middle School to embark on a landscaping project with students in the Beta Club. To join this club, students must earn 10 hours of community service, retain a GPA of 3.5 or higher, and get two teacher recommendations. These were highly motivated and well-disciplined students, and the lodge members enjoyed working with them. While Coleman is not a particularly impoverished school, the county’s budget for maintenance has been cut due to the increased cost of maintaining COVID-19 precautions. Because of this, the school was looking rather shabby. Lodge member Kristina Chowning is the Beta Club sponsor and determined the scope of the project and the supplies needed and organized the morning by assigning each Elk to a different point in the schoolyard. Tommy Moore helped with pressure washing and supervised students who were applying sod to the picnic area grounds. Jerry Reid spent a few hours raking. Elma Kelly, Laura Jones and Linda Reid worked on planters. Shannon Wheatley worked out front with a group of students. The project involved 75 students and 11 Elks — two food runners, a photographer, two hydration station and lunch helpers, and six who rolled up their sleeves and got to work. Several teachers, some PTA parents and the principal helped as well. Other adults supervised students planting shrubs along the walkway and weeding out a bed of ferns. With that many students, all the projects were done early, so the group went across the street and tackled the track and basketball courts. The project was funded by approximately $1,500 of their $3,500 Elks National Foundation Beacon Grant.

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Written by Pete Jordan

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.

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Written by Helen Garcia

Key West Elks Lodge #551 donated $5,500 from its Elks National Foundation Beacon and Spotlight grants to the Star of the Sea (SOS) Food Pantry in Key West, Florida. Pictured Jan. 21 accepting the check at the lodge are Lisa Niederman, SOS volunteer, and Suzie Bruels, kitchen manager, from lodge members Mary Wheeler and Helen Garcia.