Veterans Committee August 2022

Lakeland Lodge 1291 never ceases to amaze! The Veterans Flag Sale Fundraiser started off slow but finished with a bang just before the 4th of July deadline. The $1000.00 goal was met!! Our members are truly the best!

The 4th of July was a great success! Steve Masterton, PER cooked and ran the kitchen along with Scott Lewis and Anne Marie Wendel. Marla Sale cooked and donated the potato salad, Vickie Crosby made and donated the coleslaw and the corn was donated by Shannon Benzel and Char. A special thank you goes to them and a few others who volunteered at the event. Penny Deig, Kristen Francks, Len and Pauline Craighead, Sandy Fuschetti, Carrie Howard and Hank Cobb. I cannot say it enough…volunteers are the key to our functions. Thank you again! In total the event raised just over $2,900.00.

While they are still on restrictions from visiting the lodge we are reminding the Medical Foster Veterans that Lakeland Elks are thinking of them. Penny Deig crafted a therapy tool/toy for them and we sent it along with a short note to Kathryn for her to distribute to the veterans. We also granted a wish of one patient to be able to go to the movies by providing a $50 gift card to the movie theater. I am sharing Kathryn’s email:

 

“TEAM…. The Lakeland Elks continue to spread the ❤, joy, and connection to their brothers/sisters in arms. We were able to send this little bit of “community connection” to all of our Lakeland Medical Foster Veterans for the upcoming Holiday. So sweet to have this camaraderie albeit from a distance from such a giving organization.

REC Therapy uses these gifts in treatment for cognitive and, if the Veteran is able, for fine motor skills to write you notes. Great opportunities for discussing positive experiences in our lives. We ALL can use a little bit of such sweetness. Happy 4th everyone! ❤ Kathryn”

 

 

Remember to SAVE THE DATE for our Annual Veteran Silent Auction & Dinner which will be on Friday 11/11/22. We are actively working on donations, both auction items and monetary. Please contact Char or Kristen if you can help with a donation or if you want to assist with the event.

“So long as there are veterans, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks will never forget them.”

Char and Kristen

Ceiling Tiles Fundraiser

ENF Fundraiser —

IT has now been 3 years since we did our Ceiling Tile Fundraiser. This means it’s time to rejuvenate the ceiling tiles. We will be reaching out to those that purchased in the original offering.

If you wish to renew—please contact Sher at 863-205-7906 or via email  at sher@allcoastrm.com.

If you didn’t purchase one last time, we will have more ceiling tiles available for purchase. Again, please contact Sher!

Tiles are $100 each

ceiling Tiles 2021

2019 James A Haley Hosp Visit (photos)

Halloween Decoration Donations needed

Carmen and Bob are looking for additional Halloween decorations for this years party.
They are asking if anyone has Halloween decorations, that they are no longer using, if they would be willing to donate them to the Halloween Party decorations collection.

Let the HC Chair, Sher Thrush, know if you have something to donate. sher@allcoastrm.com

2019 Scholarship Awards Banquet -Success

2019 SCHOLARSHIP BANQUET A SUCCESS  (Photo below)

Approximately 80 people were present for the awarding of 12 scholarships totaling $13,750 at the 2019 Scholarship Banquet held on March 18 at our Lodge.

Serving as emcee for the evening, Scholarship Chair Dave Norwine announced each student receiving an award and shared with the audience a recap of that student’s accomplishments including their community service, their school and community involvements, leadership positions held, and honors and awards received.

Receiving $1,000 Lakeland Lodge Legacy Scholarships were Adele Barski, a senior at Johnson Ferry Christian Academy in Marietta, Georgia, who is the granddaughter of Lodge member Ed Barski; and Lauren Musselman, a senior at George W. Jenkins Senior High School and the granddaughter of Lodge member Janet Bentley.

Receiving $1,000 Lakeland Lodge Scholarships were Hannah Womersley from All Saints Academy in Winter Haven, Abby Branham from Lakeland Christian School, Demetrius Rasmussen from Mulberry Senior High School, and Gabrielle Snyder from International Baccalaureate at Bartow Senior High School.

Receiving $1,250 Lakeland Lodge Scholarships were Jasper Montgomery from International Baccalaureate at Bartow Senior High School, Parrish Westmoreland from Bartow Senior High School, Anthony Amato from Winter Haven Senior High School, Jacquelin Flores from Mulberry Senior High School, and Olivia Potthast from Chain of Lakes Collegiate High School in Winter Haven.

Elizabeth Gonzalez, a senior at International Baccalaureate at Bartow Senior High School received a $1,500 Scholarship from our Lodge.

At the close of the Awards Ceremony, Norwine announced that five of our 2019 recipients – Gonzalez, Potthast, Flores, Amato, and Rasmussen – made it through district judging to the state, but, unfortunately, were not selected to receive national awards.

Featured speaker for the evening was Nicole Welch, a Lakeland Mental Health professional who has dedicated her life to teaching and showing others how to use their Godgiven instincts and emotions combined with her field tested strategies to connect quickly, influence at a higher level and achieve more in any interpersonal encounter. Nicole spoke to the students and all in attendance about the importance of Mission & Motivation in life. She encouraged everyone to seek a mission and let it be your guiding light. She also advised the students that as they go off to further their educations they will need to learn how to “parent” themselves. This is where motivation becomes important in the development of selfdiscipline in order to “do what needs to be done.”

Exalted Ruler Vicki Baker welcomed the students being honored and their families to Lodge 1291 and reviewed for them the scope of the Lodge’s other charitable activities (Veterans programs, Boys & Girls Club programs, and sponsorship of the Brotherhood Ride). Vicki also presented each of recipients their certificates and awards.

In closing the evening’s program, Norwine acknowledged the school administrators and counselors present and thanked the students’ parents for all their support, encouragement and sacrifice that enabled our scholarship recipients to have distinguished and service oriented high school experiences.

2019 Recipients

Back Row L-R : Dave Norwine, Scholarship Chair; Demetrius J. Rasmussen. Mulberry Senior High School; Parrish A. Westmoreland, Bartow Senior High School; Abby G. Branham, Lakeland Christian School; Gabrielle L. Snyder, International Baccalaureate Bartow High School; Anthony M. Amato, Winter Haven Senior High School;

Front Row L-R: Hanna D. Womersley, All Saints Academy, Winter Haven; Jacquelin Flores, Mulberry Senior High School; Lauren A. Musselman, George W. Jenkins Senior High School; Olivia M. Potthast, Chain of Lakes Collegiate Senior High School; Elizabeth Gonzalez, International Baccalaureate Bartow High School; Jasper L. Montgomery, International Baccalaureate Bartow High School; Vicki Baker, ER.

(Unable to attend: Adelle R. Barski, Johnson Ferry Christian Academy, Marietta, GA.)

 

Veterans Committee Update April 2019

Veterans Committee
As our Fiscal Elk Year comes to an end, we want to give you updates on our recent donations. We made a donation to the James A. Haley VA Hospital, specifically targeted to the homeless veterans that they serve. The immediate need was for athletic shoes, rain jackets, toothpaste, toothbrushes, bar soap and baby wipes. We donated approximately $850.00, of these items, which included 39 pairs of shoes, 13 rain jackets, 27 packs of baby wipes, 93 bars of soap, 68 toothbrushes, 64 boxes of toothpaste, 33 packs of antibacterial wipes, and 20 pairs of socks. We were also able to donate an additional 32 personal care kits from member Dan Wait’s Sandpiper community. The kits were also tailored toward the homeless veterans and included toiletries, socks, hats, and puzzle books. A special thank you to Steve Masterton, PER and John “Mac” McArthur for delivering the donations to the hospital.

We were once again able to donate to the Lakeland Veterans Center. We donated $400.00 of beverages which included: 10 cans of coffee, 40 creamers, 1 box of 2000 sugar packets, 2 boxes of Splenda, 8 cases of water and 15 cases of soda. The facility does not have a provision for this in their budget. This donation will be used by local veterans during group and individual counseling sessions and takes the burden off of the veteran to provide it.

Flight to Honor Mission #5 is scheduled for April 30th from Lakeland Linder Airport. As previously reported we have helped two of the James A. Haley Medical Foster Veterans with attending this trip. We would like to show our community that with Elks, veterans are our priority, and therefore, we would like to get a group of Elk members to go to the airport to show support at “Send Off” and “Return”. If you would be willing to do this, please let us know. We will post further details as it gets closer to the flight.

In order to continue on with our ability to support veterans in need, please join us for our next fundraising event, which will be Friday May 17th, to honor Armed Forces Day. It will be a steak dinner by the McCoy Team with karaoke by Garry and Bob and we will have raffles. Mark your calendar to come out and pay tribute to all military branches. See our flier for further details.

We would like to thank everyone who has helped make this another great year. It is because of you, the members, that we are able to make these things possible. Your support and assistance is truly appreciated.

Char and Kristen

Lodge supporting Local Veteran Facility

Lakeland Elks 1291 Giving To Local Veteran Facility

Lakeland Elks 1291 donated 40 cans of creamer, 1 box of sugar packets, 2 boxes of Splenda, 10 cans of coffee, 8 cases of water, and 15 cases of soda to the Lakeland Veterans Center. The facility does not have a provision for this in their budget.  This donation will be used by local veterans during group and individual counseling sessions and takes the burden off of the veteran to provide it.

Elk of the Year

At this years New Officer Installation, outgoing ER, Chris Crider, named Anthony Bonacum, ELK OF THE YEAR, 2015-2016, as an expression of the gratitude and appreciation of the members of our Lodge and Grand Lodge for Loyal and Meritorious Service in the Furtherance of the Aims of Our Order. (photo)

Elk of Yr Chris Crider Tony Bonacum cw