Vero Beach Elks #1774

It’s that time of year again. El Schneider Memorial Raffle Tickets are available for sale at the bar. Tickets are $50 each and the prizes are the same as last year, ranging from $5,000 to $250, 10 prizes in all. In addition to the prize amounts, the seller of the winning tickets will also receive 10% of prize amount, e.g., $5,000 prize, seller receives $500 and so on. Only Lodge Members are allowed to sell the raffle tickets. Tickets, in addition to being available at the bar, will also be mailed out to every member.

The El Schneider Raffle along with the El Schneider Memorial Dinner to be held on February 23rd, 2019 are the only fundraisers that will benefit the Lodge. The monies raised are used to maintain the Lodge building and our property. Past monies have been used to beautify the outside of the building as well as trimming all of the overgrown trees and shrubs and removing four large dead oak trees. Plans for future funds raised will be to replace the broken concrete on the driveway off 26th street as well as re-striping the parking lot and if enough funds are available, installing additional lighting in the parking lots. The Raffle Tickets have been mailed. Please help your Lodge by selling or purchasing the tickets.

El Schneider Memorial Dinner

Tickets are now available for purchase for the El Schneider Memorial Dinner which will be held on Saturday, February 23rd, 2019. Tickets may be purchased for $55 per person from the bartenders or any of the Lodge officers. You may select your table once your group of eight has paid for your tickets.

The menu for the evening will include Surf and Turf (Prime Rib and Shrimp Scampi) along with baked potato, vegetable, salad and dessert. Your night will start with a cocktail hour (cash bar) from 6:00-7:00 pm with hot and cold hors d’oeuvres, followed by dinner and dancing with a full open bar from 7:00-10:00 pm. There will also be a Silent Auction held featuring many fine items to bid on, as well as the El Schneider Memorial Raffle drawing to be held at 10:00 pm.

We look forward to seeing you there, it will be a fun night for all attending.

Our campers have returned from Florida Elks Youth Camp and had a fantastic time! This year the weather cooperated limiting rain storms but the Florida heat remained a factor. Thank goodness for the huge camp pools to cool off!

The adventure began on Sunday, June 24th with our members hosting a light breakfast for our campers and their parents/guardians before we began our 2 hr 40 minute bus trip to the campgrounds in Umatilla, FL. Lodges statewide experienced “no shows” due to news reports of children falling ill at Cloverleaf 4H camp in Lake Placid, Fl. Some parents were reluctant to send their children to camp and 3 cancelled the week before leaving. On Friday, we had 2 children move out of state and on Sunday, 7 were no shows for our registration even after numerous calls home. Our 28 excited children were well-behaved watching videos, talking and playing games during the long ride and dined on delicious sandwiches made by our members and fun snack bags.

Arriving at camp, each child had their picture taken for identification and to finalize check-in. Our Chaperones released our very excited children to the camping staff to begin their camping adventure! The camp staff assist the children with unpacking and noted items missing, worn or deemed unsuitable. These items were then purchased by the Florida Elks camp staff for the campers to use and take home at the end of camp. This process is all handled privately so as not to embarrass the child. Like Christmas morning, the child will find the newly purchased goodies in their locker! Many parents are grateful to have their child receive much needed clothing, personal items and shoes that they just cannot afford. In addition to the camp experience, this is yet another good deed the Elks provide to these underprivileged children.

On Saturday, June 30th, Elks Chaperones met at our lodge to begin the trip to pick-up our campers. Lunch, water and snacks were again provided to the campers for the ride back to Vero Beach. The general consensus of the campers, THEY HAD A BLAST AT CAMP! Many tried archery for the first time and some carried clever arts & craft projects that they had made. The campers were also adorned with newly crafted beaded bracelets and necklaces. They wore Elks hats, shirts and carried water bottles, all included in the tuition. The children loved their swimming time in one of the two Olympic size pools and the rope and zip-line course was an overwhelming favorite.

During the bus ride home, Rich and I sent a text message to all parents/guardians as to our ETA at the lodge to make pick-up go smoothly. Meanwhile, the children ate, napped, shared camping experiences and crafted thank you cards to our lodge. Many campers shed tears that camp was over until next year and some were sad at the realization that they will turn 14 and not be eligible to return to Elks camp next summer. Arriving at the lodge, we were met by a parking lot full of parents eager to see their child and hear about the exciting camping experiences, new friends and personal achievements.

I cannot begin to thank our fantastic Vero Beach Elk volunteers enough! From making lunches and snack bags, greeting the campers for breakfast and check-in at the Elks Lodge, taking the time to Chaperone and the many Elk members that generously donated to make this a camping experience the children will remember for a lifetime. Thank you to our Exalted Ruler, Jim Rannazzisi, Officers and Members for your support.

A sincere “Thank-You” to our chaperones: Jim Rannazzisi, Les & Brenda Owen, Terry & Ray Ketcham, Rose Trufano, Michele Klager, Rich Miller, Pat & Paul Diaz, Mike Campbell, Sue Dous and Bruce Benson. Also my sincere gratitude to our sandwich and snack bag chefs and the morning breakfast crew for all of your hard work, dedication and time. This project takes our entire lodge to be successful and all members contributed to changing the lives of very deserving children and making memories they will remember for a long time.

Sincerely & Fraternally, Kathi Miller

Two of our Lodge members, Bob Deniger and Art Short, had a wonderful and memorable experience June 23 when they flew on a whirlwind 24-hour trip to Washington, DC on the 50th Space Coast Honor Flight mission.

Bob was one of 25 WWII, Korean and Vietnam war veterans selected for the trip along with 25 “guardians” who accompanied each veteran. Bob chose to bring his friend Art as his guardian but volunteer guardians are available at no cost to the veteran. In fact, the entire trip……flights and meals are provided free of charge.

Pictured above at the send-off celebration are, from left to right, Lodge members Darlene Short, Art Short, Phil Weiler, Bob Deniger and Melody Gabriel.

The day started with a big send-off celebration in Melbourne from 1:30 a.m. to 3:30 a.m. attended by 250 amazing volunteers from surrounding communities and Patrick AFB. The bus taking the group to Orlando Airport was escorted by two police cars with flashing lights and 20 motorcycles driven by volunteer riders. Arriving at the airport, the vets were again applauded by many volunteers and passengers. At the Baltimore airport it was more of the same. Greetings by volunteers and passengers and a fast police escort to DC on a bus by-passing all the traffic.

Bob and Art take a break in the action.

Highlights of the day were visits to the numerous monuments and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Then it was back on the bus, back to Baltimore and the flight home. Bob and Art were both very moved by greetings and applause at the Orlando airport when they exited the jetway.

Bob and Art at the Welcome Home celebration.

Bob, a four-year Navy veteran who served during the Korean war, was a petty officer in a jet fighter squadron responsible for aircraft maintenance both on land and aboard carriers. He had this to say about his Honor Flight experience, “I highly recommend that veterans consider making this trip. Seeing Washington, the monuments and memorials were the highlight. All the volunteers who made the experience happen were outstanding and enjoyable to be with, especially my “guardian” Art Short. I have never seen such wonderful organization on the part of all the volunteers. As we passed through the airports going and coming we were greeted and treated as heroes. What an exciting, as well as humbling experience that I will never forget.”

Bob and Art with the oldest veteran Ed Kydd on the Honor Flight. Ed is one month short of 102.

Art, a four-year Army veteran, served in Vietnam for a nearly a year assigned to avionics. About being Bob’s guardian on this trip, Art said, “I was honored that Bob included me in this remarkable day as his guardian.” Art thought the most emotional part of the trip was walking through the airports with so many people clapping, wanting to shake hands and small children walking up with their hands reached out to shake. He said that when they got to the Korean War Veterans Memorial there was a misty fog lying just above the heads of the soldier statues causing an eerie (ghostly) feeling. He said the best experience of the day was being able to share this with another veteran and a friend.

The Vero Beach Elks Lodge would like to encourage any veterans to apply for a Space Coast Honor Flight. Five flights a year for 25 veterans, their guardians and 6 staff are scheduled. Our Lodge member Phil Weiler is director of operations for the trips. It takes about two years to be selected from the list with preference right now being given to WWII vets. If interested, go to spacecoasthonorflight.org for further information and an application. When you see them at the Lodge, Bob and Art would be happy to tell you all about their experiences too. Bob can be reached at 772-713-6953 or bikey114@att.net.