Laguna Woods Senior Clown Alley; Alma and Adrian Gonzalez.
Elk Member Laura Lumley; Jack Ferrell; Elk Member Stephanie Bongartz.
Elks Member Frank Kirchoff Reads “The Bear Snores On.”
Exalted Ruler Gloria LeCouvre; Clown Reddy Red; Christian & Samantha Trujillo.
Irene & Larry
Photos by Lorene Tierney
On Sunday, May 15, 2011, Mission Viejo / Saddleback Valley Elks Lodge No. 2444 (“Elks Lodge”) held a festive carnival for Pediatric Oncology Patients (“Children”) and their families who are supported by Orange County Foundation for Oncology Children and Families (“OCF-OCF”). This event was organized by Elks Lodge member Stephanie Bongartz who late last year held a fund raising dinner to help pay for this event. Additional funds and gifts for this event were derived from the Elks Lodge Bingo operation, other fund raising events, Bongo Inc. of Lake Forest and individual Elks Lodge members. Eighty-six (86) volunteers helped running the event. Volunteers included five (5) youth from St. Killian’s Church.
Upon entering the Lodge, the Children and their families gazed upon a Lodge ceiling transformed into a sky of floating balloons. All children and their families were provided with a t-shirt with figures of two children holding hands and saying, “We Have Friends at The Mission Viejo Elks Lodge”.
The Children quickly immersed themselves into typical carnival games such as ring toss, bean bag toss, milk bottle bash, yellow ducks floating in water, etc. A bounce house was heavily used. At each of ten game stations, each child won a prize for participation in that game. The Children also enjoyed a bounce house and crafts. The Laguna Woods Senior Clown Alley Group made balloon figures and painted faces. In the Lodge game room, Frank Kirchoff dressed as a bear delivered story time with an animated reading of “The Bear Snores On” followed by a gift of Gummi Bears. Music was provided by Larry & Irene.
All attendees enjoyed typical carnival food: snow cones, cotton candy, chicken nuggets, corn dogs, French fries and sweets. In addition to game prizes and upon their departure, each child picked out a “special” gift from a selection of DVDs, stuffed animals, games, cuddle blankets and craft sets.
For a few hours, the Children and their families could enjoy time away from the effects of their illnesses and chemotherapy, radiation and other medical treatments.
The Mission Viejo / Saddleback Elks Lodge No. 2444, celebrating forty-one (41) years of service to the Saddleback Valley communities, is one of ten lodges in the Orange Coast District of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE) whose headquarters is in Chicago, Illinois. The BPOE is a charitable organization with a 143 year history of giving, “Elks Care, Elks Share.”
