That s what we do, said John Feehan, an officer of the Elks Lodge. We re not in this for profit. We raise money to help the community. He explained that the Elks Lodge has a long-standing tradition in helping with public education, youth programs like little league and the scouts programs, and senior citizen programs. Another one of the Elks long-standing charities is the DARE program.
Elks clubs chooses a charity on a state wide basis.
By planning such fund-raisers as dinners, dances, and a weekly bingo night each Friday night, the Elks are able to give substantial donations to their charities. People request certain amounts of money and a panel of officers will vote on which organizations to give to, explained Feehan. Our motto is Elks Care, Elks Share. Three years ago, E. Wilson Morrison Elementary School turned its Elks donation into the Accelerated Reading Program and relies on the Elks donation to keep the program running. The Elks were responsible for funding the program and every year we use their donations to get more books and software, said Principal Peggy Herndon.