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Written by Rotonda Elks

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Using its $2,000 Elks National Foundation Gratitude Grant and $1,000 from the lodge charity account, Rotonda Elks Lodge #2710 donated $1,500 each May 9 to two food banks in Englewood, Florida, run by churches – St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church and St. David’s Jubilee Center of St. David’s Episcopal Church. St David’s Food Bank provides food to over 200 families consisting of 400 adults and 180 children per month and continued to distribute food during the pandemic. Families also have access to the clothes closet of gently used clothing for free. When school resumes, the backpack ministry will again provide kid-friendly nutritious food to students attending Englewood elementary schools every two weeks throughout the school year. Pictured at St. David’s Jubilee Center are Roger Redman, Exalted Ruler, and Jeff Smith, Trustee, presenting a check to Ruth Hill (center), administrator of St. David’s Food Bank. The other check was presented to St. Francis in front of Rotonda Lodge.

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Written by Rita Smith

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On March 3, Tampa Elks Lodge-sponsored Club Chivalry made its annual field trip to the Florida Elks Youth Camp. Despite an insurance issue stopping the group from going in the air on the ropes course, there was still a lot of team building done. Rita Smith, Betty Orcutt, PER Dee Cisneros, and Christien Elkins joined school sponsor, Carolyn Hand, in chaperoning the 41 students. Before lunch, the ropes course instructors worked with the entire group; after lunch, they broke them down into three groups. The snacks were plentiful on both legs of the trip. The event accomplished the goals of showing off the camp and of building cooperation among the students in the club. The club’s sponsor even asked for a membership application on the way home.

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Written by Mary Ellen Fillo

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Two social media-savvy members of Delray Beach Elks Lodge #1770, Iain Paterson and John Brewer, and their socially distanced supper club were featured May 9 on the “Today” show. Reporter Kerry Sanders spotlighted the pop-up dining concept the two launched to boost takeout restaurant business in Delray Beach, Florida, and several surrounding towns during the coronavirus pandemic when restaurants were only serving curbside meals. The restaurants would feature a special menu as part of the promotion and it was advertised on social media to reach more supporters. The club has more than 30 participating restaurants, and according to Sanders, the Facebook group has more than 10,000 members. As it gained more traction, the supper club offered hats and other swag and the proceeds from those sales, over $10,000, were given to Trinity Delray Lutheran Church and School, a nonprofit organization that provides food to those in need. Pictured are Paterson and Brewer in front of Tim Finnegan’s, a participating downtown restaurant in Delray Beach, Florida, in April 2020.

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Written by Oakland Park Elks

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On Jan. 16, Oakland Park Elks Lodge #2407 held their first of what is hoped to be an annual fundraising event for Florida Elks Children’s Therapy Services (FECTS) – Drag it Out. Local drag queens from Lips Restaurant in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, donated their time and tips for this benefit. Occupational therapist Lynanne Koenig and her husband were invited to represent FECTS. She spoke about how valuable donations are to the services provided to the children and their families. Five dollars from each ticket sold went to FECTS. From the tips and tickets, $650 was raised at this event. Pictured are members Barry Drailfinger and Regina Roszkowski.

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Written by Judy Wise

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On April 28, Plant City Elks Lodge #1727 donated $5,679 to the United Food Bank of Plant City. The lodge used $4,000 from the Elks National Foundation Gratitude Grant and the lodge members added $1,679 to the donation. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the schools closed and were unable to calculate the number of unpaid student lunches and even started distributing free lunches in their parking lots. The business closings and layoffs have put a terrible strain on the food banks. The Plant City food bank was already dipping into summer and fall budgets to meet the tremendous demand. The presentation was made with masks on for safety. Pictured are Judy Wise, Chaplain; Mary Heysek, food bank director; Shelly Carroll, Lecturing Knight; and Kenny Goodwien, Exalted Ruler.

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Written by Judy Wise

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February was National Hospitalized Veterans Month and to show their love and gratitude to them, Plant City Elks Lodge members brought more than 300 valentines to the lodge for everyone to sign and add messages of thanks for the hospitalized veterans at the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital in Tampa, Florida. Judy Wise, Veterans Chairman, and her husband, Ed, Americanism Chairman, delivered the valentines. Students from Advantage Academy in Plant City, Florida, also made 240 cards after Wise informed a teacher there about celebrating hospitalized veterans in February. The program was used in art, English and history classes as a teaching moment for the students about veterans and their sacrifices. The teachers donated the art materials.

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Written by Bradenton Elks

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On March 31, Bradenton Elks Lodge #1511 donated $2,000 from the Elks National Foundation Gratitude Grant to The Food Bank of Manatee (located in Manatee County) which is run by Meals on Wheels PLUS. Maribeth Phillips, CEO of Meals on Wheels PLUS, accepts the donation from Mike Eymann, PER, Exalted Ruler, as he uses a grabber to abide by social distancing. In the second picture, Phillips is pictured with Cindy Sloan, Director of The Food Bank of Manatee. This food bank happens to be where the Bradenton Lodge program Elks Feeding Empty Little Tummies purchases the majority of its food. The site of the donation presentation is the Bradenton office of Meals on Wheels PLUS.

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Written by Bob Blair

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On Dec. 18, Brandon Lodge’s Bags of Brotherly Love served over 500 meals to the those who are homeless at both Trinity Café locations in Tampa, Fla. Trinity Café and Bags of Brotherly Love share the same mission – to bring dignity back into the lives of those less fortunate. This was all made possible through the Elks National Foundation Impact Grant that the Bags of Brotherly Love received in 2019. With all they do for those who are homeless, there were enough funds to purchase the food for both locations and feed everyone a hot meal which consisted of shepherd’s pie made by award-winning chef Dan, salad, broccoli, rolls, tea, and cake. They also handed out shoes and donated knit beanies and handmade scarves to those in need.