Brandon Elks Lodge members and Brandon Ladies of Elks donated money, items and volunteer time for this year’s New Year’s gift bags for veterans of James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital. The lodge assembled 100 gift bags (85 for men and 15 for women) for the veterans in the polytrauma unit and spinal cord injury center. Ladies members donated $1,033.88 and lodge members donated $63.72. In addition, 50 hand crocheted lap blankets valued at $1,000 were donated by the Brandon Senior Center ladies, organized by Mary Lou Schreck, Lodge Secretary. Kathy Bilinski, Lodge Grants Coordinator, secured a $1,000 Elks National Foundation Veterans Service Commission Freedom Grant to assist with costs of this yearly project. On Jan. 2, lodge and Ladies members assembled the bags.
Robin Rutzke, Lodge Veterans Chair, is pictured delivering the bags Jan. 23 to Holly Wilson of JAHVH Career Development and Civic Engagement. Also pictured are Jackie Florintino and Charlene Hart; Charlene Hart, Past Lady President Ann Fox, and Beth Benham; and Past Lady President Jane Gilblair (front) and Donna Mancuso-Fultz and Jackie Floritio (back).