Two very special children at last year’s carnival.
A special event taking place on April 18th is the Mission Viejo, Saddleback Valley Elk’s fifth annual Cancer Kids Carnival held for OCF-OCF (Orange County Foundation for Oncology Children and Families). Like the Elks, they are a non-profit, volunteer run organization providing year-round recreational and social activities to foster supportive relationships for pediatric cancer patients and their families. One of the key areas of concern recognized by the Elks and OCF-OCF is that when a child has cancer, it affects the entire family.
The Elks provide a Carnival Day of fun and relaxation for the entire family, complete with games, food, and loads of prizes. 150 to 200 guests are again expected to attend the event which is held in the Elks Lodge and picnic area located in Mission Viejo. The children enjoy carnival games where everyone wins a prize every time they play. There’s a bounce house, custom tee-shirts, face painting, temporary tattoos & hair coloring, balloons, cotton candy, chicken fingers, French fries, corn dogs, and snow cones. The zany antics of the Clown Alley Clowns from Laguna Woods are always a big hit with the children. The event includes most everything you might find at a regular carnival only tailored to accommodate these very special children. The day is made extra special by the attentive Elks who see to the children’s every need and comfort. When they leave the party every child picks out a high-end gift to take with them. Parents have often said that for the first time in a long while they saw smiles return to their child’s face on Elk’s Carnival Day. Elk members have said that seeing those smiles is reward enough for all their hard work and efforts.
Funding for the Carnival comes from a Cancer Charities Dinner Dance held by the Elks earlier in the year. It is also subsidized by the Elks Bingo Committee under the direction of Elk Newt Seal and Jim Wessling. Both the carnival and the dinner dance events are chaired by Elks Stephanie Bongartz and Pam Mackey with help from a dedicated crew of 35 or 40 Elk members. Once the carnival is over, the Elks donate any remaining money to the OCF-OCF’s World’s Greatest Camp.
Information about Elks membership and Elks charities can be found on the Elks Web Site http://www.elkslodge2444.org or by calling the Elks at (949) 830-3557.
