Northwest District

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Written by Harriet Gossett

Pensacola Beach Elks Lodge #497 donated its $2,000 Elks National Foundation Spotlight Grant to the Gulf Breeze Weekend Food Program to benefit children in local schools. The program provides weekend food for children in need at Gulf Breeze elementary, middle and high schools. Also included are Oriole Beach Elementary and Woodlawn Beach Middle schools in Santa Rosa County, Florida. Presenting the donation Oct. 4 is Dan Smith, Exalted Ruler, to Mike Stahl, program director.

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Written by Taz WrightReynolds, PER

On Sept. 20, Fort Walton Lodge presented the S3 Project of the Fort Walton Beach Woman’s Club the $3,500 Elks National Foundation Beacon Grant. The Fort Walton Beach Woman’s Club was founded in 1921 and offers community service programs. This grant is specifically for the S3 project with the objective to improve student performance, attendance, personal pride/self-worth and school participation. The grant will be used to purchase the necessary school supplies and personal items as needed for any student in need, including any student experiencing homelessness. Whenever a school identifies a student in need for food, personal health supplies, school supplies, or funding to participate in a school function such as band, it will be funded. As part of its community, the lodge’s goal is to be part of the solution to assist students in achieving academic success and personal growth. Pictured at the check presentation are Taz WrightReynolds, PER, Exalted Ruler; Jamie Clemons, Lodge Secretary; Kevin Clemons, PDD, District Leader; Cissy Wyninegar, lodge member; Dr. Vivian Green, Woman’s Club member; Kathy Pacheco, lodge trustee; Tom Knowles, PER; and Paul Eubanks, PER.

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Written by Taz WrightReynolds, PER

On Sept. 20, Fort Walton Lodge presented its $2,000 Elks National Foundation Spotlight Grant to Fresh Start for Children and Families. Fresh Start’s primary focus is helping families achieve long-term self-sufficiency through a nine-month residential and educational program. This grant will help refurbish some existing transitional housing units. A prior tenant with many children was evicted for not keeping their end of the housing agreement. Upon leaving, the tenant destroyed appliances and parts of the building. This grant will help provide replacements for this housing unit and much needed support for the mission of Fresh Start for Children and Families. Pictured at the check presentation are Taz WrightReynolds, PER, Exalted Ruler; Wilma Clayton, life skills manager; Sharron Stephens, property manager; Jamie Clemons, Lodge Secretary; Paul Eubanks, PER; and Donna Tashik, executive director.

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Written by Harriet Gossett

Pensacola Beach Lodge held a golf tournament Sept. 10 at Hidden Creek Golf Club in Navarre, Florida. A total of 140 golfers participated, including members, nonmembers, friends of members and sponsors, and raised more than $29,000 for the lodge’s charity account. Charities that will benefit from the tournament include Boy Scouts of America, Santa Rosa Kid’s House, Gulf Coast Kid’s House, The Miracle League, Favor House, Bill Bond Baseball, AHERO, Weekend Food Program, Children in Crisis, Salvation Army, Bethany Christian Services, Children’s Home Society, ARC Gateway, USO of Northwest Florida, Council on Aging, Pensacola Beach Elementary School, Army of Hope, Family Fishing Rodeo and Kids Fishing Rodeo. More than 40 volunteers assisted to make the tournament a success. Special events included a hospitality tent, raffle, silent auction, hole-in-one prizes, putting contest and several specialty holes. Awards were given for the top three teams, longest drive and closest to the pin. “I would like to personally thank everyone who came out on this beautiful day to help us raise money for our designated charities. We could not have had such a huge success without the community’s involvement, the golfers and all our volunteers,” remarked Darrell Gossett, tournament chair.

The group picture was taken before the tournament. Also pictured are Gossett as well as member Gary Booker with Dan Smith, Exalted Ruler.

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Written by Harriet Gossett

On Sept. 1, Pensacola Beach Elks Lodge #497 donated $2,000 from its charity account to the Santa Rosa Kid's House, which assists survivors of child abuse in Santa Rosa County, Florida. Pictured are Cap Pratt, PDD, lodge trustee, and Kelli Sanders, Santa Rosa Kid's House program director.

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Written by Bud Tipton

On Aug. 26, Crestview Lodge made a monetary donation as well as a donation of books and supplies to Feed Fosters, an organization that helps feed foster families in northwest Florida. Along with donating the lodge’s $2,500 Elks National Foundation Gratitude Grant, the lodge gifted 17 copies of “What Happened to You? Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing,” by Oprah Winfrey and Bruce Perry, MD, PhD. Additionally, they donated 500 bags to assist with food delivery and storage which included thick plastic shopping bags with handles and a cardboard bottom, merchandise bags, food service bags, takeout bags and gift bags. Savannah Cox, assistant director of Feed Fosters, accepts the check from Bud Tipton, Exalted Ruler. According to https://www.feedfosters.org/, Feed Fosters began providing meals to foster families April 12, 2020. “We saw it as an opportunity to support local restaurants during the Coronavirus pandemic by purchasing all the event meals directly from them.”