Northwest District

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Written by Taz WrightReynolds, PER

On Aug. 2, Destin Elks Lodge #2688 donated $3,000 to the Blue Door Ministry, run by St. Andrews by the Sea Episcopal Church in Destin. The ministry provides hot lunches twice a week in coordination with other congregations in the area, sack lunches, a clothes closet, a food pantry, showers, food stamp application services, local bus passes and Harvest-House vouchers. They also run, support and operate a bike shop, which receives donations from individuals and businesses in the area who are replacing their fleets of beach bikes. The shop repairs and services hundreds of bikes each year. The bikes are given free of charge to anyone who is homeless and children in need.

Pictured are Terri Griffin, lodge member; Ann Harmuth, ministry volunteer; and Robert Griffin, Lodge Treasurer.

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Written by Taz WrightReynolds, PER

Holley-Navarre Elks Lodge #2787 participated in the Outdoor Market at Pik-itz May 6 in Navarre, Florida, promoting the Drug Awareness program and Elks membership. Members teamed with the Navarre High School Naval Junior ROTC unit, which also happens to be one of the lodge’s legacy charities, to share this information with more than 50 attendees and provided the Elks membership quick response code (QR-code) to everyone seeking information on membership in the Elks.

Pictured are cadets Deryn Duzagadusmez and Ethan Feliciano with Drug Awareness Co-Chairs Skip Dalle Molle and Jeff Grady and Tom Stevens, endorsed District Deputy.

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Written by Taz WrightReynolds, PER

On May 6, Warrington Elks Lodge #2108 participated in the Burger Battle by the Bay at Maritime Park in Pensacola, Florida. The event is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Pensacola and raised nearly $25,000 for Florida’s Take Stock in Children program, which provides college scholarships to children who are underprivileged who maintain good grades, stay out of trouble and stay off drugs through middle school and high school. The lodge entered two Elk burger cooking teams — one led by Ralph Daniels, PER and one led by Randy Dufner, trustee. Thousands of people attended to vote for the best burger. The lodge provided Elks membership information and had a tent sent up to promote Drug Awareness. They gave out more than 250 bags of drug awareness information and approximately 400 red ribbons. The judges selected Dufner’s team as the winner of the best burger in the amateur category. One of the judges was Chef Darian Hernandez, a recent winner of the Food Network television show “Chopped.”

Pictured is the winning team from Warrington Lodge.

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Written by Taz WrightReynolds, PER

On Feb. 13, Fort Walton Elks Lodge #1795 donated $1,250 to the local youth organization Future Stars Football Clinic (FSFC), which serves the Fort Walton Beach area to develop youths ages 6 to 13. The objective of the structured nine-week clinic, which balances fun, rigorous training and mentorship to produce a positive learning environment, is to instill self-confidence via participant sports safety and fundamentals. FSFC also creates an environment in which children not only integrate as a team through sport but as a community via two community service events. The lodge donation will help purchase greatly needed sports equipment, which will help the youths train harder, more efficiently and safely. FSFC believes sports are a great way to build character, self-esteem, sportsmanship and leadership skills. Christopher Torres, CEO/coach, has grown this program to a new level and will serve several hundred kids in their introduction to sports and fair play.

Pictured are Paul Eubanks, PER, lodge board chair; Kathy Pacheco, lodge trustee; Marcia WrightReynolds, Lecturing Knight; Michael “Taz” WrightReynolds, PER, Exalted Ruler; Chris Torres, CEO/coach; Tom Knowles, PER; Dusty Austin, lodge trustee; Rob Parks, Loyal Knight; Kevin Clemons, PDD, District Leader; and Tom McLaughlin, Leading Knight.

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Written by Taz WrightReynolds, PER

On Feb. 7, Holley-Navarre Elks Lodge #2787 donated $600 to support the operations of the Navarre Youth Sports Association (NYSA) complex. NYSA has been a longtime supporter of the community and supporter of the Elks Hoop Shoot, where local and regional events have taken place. The NYSA is a nonprofit all-volunteer organization. The athletes can enjoy participating in several different sports at both the recreational and competitive level year-round. The NYSA strives to teach children of the Holley-Navarre community good sportsmanship, honesty, courage and respect so they may be well-adjusted, stronger and happier children. There are no residency requirements to join the NYSA or to participate in the programs.

Pictured are TJ Carey, Exalted Ruler, and Canna Ellerbe, Navarre Youth Sports Association office manager.

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Written by Taz WrightReynolds, PER

On Jan. 31, Holley-Navarre Elks Lodge #2787 donated $1,000 to Healing Paws for Warriors, an organization dedicated to providing service dogs for relief to combat veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury and military sexual trauma through rescue-to-trained ADA-certified service dogs. Their motto is “Bringing Awareness to Veteran Suicide — Reducing the Numbers One Service Dog at a Time.”

Pictured are Ann Riley, member; Mike Arena, Healing Paws for Warriors representative; TJ Carey, Exalted Ruler; and Chip, a service dog.