Local Elks Lodge and the Colville Community take on Hurricane Harvey
by Michael Cashion
The Colville Elks Lodge led the charge and provided a great venue in this community effort to help as many as possible in the Beaumont Texas greater Elks community. Last Friday (September 29th) night was the culmination of a fund drive capped off with a Texas rib dinner that served over a 120 participants and raised over $11,000 for Hurricane Harvey victim’s.
In the picture from left to right are: Norm Butts, Leading Knight; Tim Pratt Trustee’s Chair; Butch Sager ER; Greg Balint District Deputy Director; Steve West Trustee/Fund Chair; Lana Davick District Esquire; Lacey Quiggle District Auditor
The small Elks Lodge boasts of just over 200 members led the charge to raise over $11,000 for it’s newly proclaimed sister Lodge, Beaumont Texas.
Beaumont Elks Lodge has several families that were horribly impacted by Hurricane Harvey. Elk members, their spouse’s, children and elderly that live with them were left literally out in the rain and held in shelters or at friends. Not all of them had sufficient insurance nor flood insurance. There are over 100K people in Beaumont Texas and FEMA and others will help most. We aim to help our fellow Elkdom families.
Another wonderful aspect was that well over a hundred of our local school children, grades 3 through 8, took a little time out of their day to write a letter or make a card to their peers in Beaumont, sharing their thoughts of what they knew of Harvey and its impact. All were well wished, many humorous, some very heart felt and some philosophical, i.e. “When your home is filled with flooded water, be the mermaid.”
The fund drive came in the way of $15 dinner tickets for a dinner that was completely donated and cooked by Elk volunteers. The dinner was held on a beautiful Friday night at the Elks Lodge overlooking the Colville Valley and the community’s beautiful Dominion Meadows Golf Course.
In addition to the ticket sales, there was a Century Club drive at the dinner. If you threw $100 in the bucket, you’re in the club, we weren’t very picky but very proud. Also advertisement and phone requests have brought in donations that have been accepted over the past three weeks from several individuals, clubs and businesses. Lastly, a 50/50 ticket sale at the dinner neared $500 total with the winner of that drawing donating her winnings back to the cause.
One of the Colville Elks officers said, “Since Harvey, there have been a number of natural storm disasters, but we jumped and focused on the first one, and maybe, paying it forward will help others to follow”. All in all over $11,000 was raised. Every cent will go to the Beaumont Elks Lodge to be dispersed to the most needy they know. Great Job Colville, Great Job Elks Lodge and all of your volunteers.