After all these years, it’s great to see how much satisfaction and fun folks still have knowing that event proceeds support handicapped kids and Elks charities – Dancing For Charity at the Elks Lodge

Welcoming Committee Jinnae Wessling (Lake Forest) & Kathy Furlan (Laguna Hills)

Wagon Master, Fred Gable of the Mission Viejo / Saddleback Valley Elks Lodge (“Elks Lodge”) Run-A-Ways RV Club said, “This was our 31st annual Western Night Dinner-Dance. After all these years, it’s great to see how much satisfaction and fun folks still have knowing that event proceeds support handicapped kids and Elks charities.”

The Elks Lodge room was once again transformed into a delightful old western town & country scene with hand painted wall murals and a jail house that practically everyone frequented by night’s end…happily paying the sheriff’s small fine (for charity) to buy their freedom. Camper Don Berreth (Mission Viejo) acted as the “crooked” jailer and Exalted Ruler Jason Spence (Rancho Santa Margarita) as the “I could be bribed” judge.

Cowboy Chef Allan Jones (Mission Viejo)

Elk volunteer chef Allan Jones (Mission Viejo) worked his magic at the BBQ grill as the happy crowd of cowboys and cowgirls in western attire feasted on delicious BBQ tri-tip, BBQ chicken, country beans, corn & salad, all topped off with a cheesecake desert. Music was provided by the country & western group, “Back Home Band”. This was the band’s second appearance at the annual event, keeping the dance floor filled throughout the evening.

Raffle prizes donated by campers and local merchants were obtained through the efforts of campers Grace Giuliano (Laguna Woods) and Sue Zeiler (Lake Forest). Decorations were supervised by Kathy Furlan (Laguna Hills). Dinner & raffle ticket sales were managed by Jinnae Wessling (Lake Forest) and the kitchen crew was led by Annette Gabel. Scout Leader Leeora Beck and the Girl Scouts of troop #261 were servers, who roped two boys into helping them.

The event was chaired by Wagon Master Fred Gabel and wife Annette (Lake Forest) with the help of no less than 40 hard working RV Camping Club members, all dedicated to making certain that a great time would be had by all. MC Andy Costello (Laguna Hills) welcomed the guests and thanked them for their support. He said the event was expected to raise close to $3,000, which would bring the amount of the RV Camping Club’s contributions to Handicapped Kids and Elks Lodge charities to over $8,500 for the year. Costello added. “There would have been even more people at our dinner, but a large group of Elks Lodge members were involved with another Orange Coast District Elks fundraiser for our Military Veterans. I guess we just need more new Elk members to work all the charities we support.”

Many of the 118 Run-A-Ways RV Club members will be headed next to Golden Village Palms in Hemet in October to join with over 500 Elk RVers from across the State of California for the Elks RV Charity Rally. The annual weekend event is expected to exceed last year’s record amount of $30,000 raised for the Elks Major Project which benefits seeing and hearing impaired children. For information on Elks charities call (949) 830-3557.

The Mission Viejo / Saddleback Elks Lodge No. 2444, celebrating forty-three (43) 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 145 year history of giving, “Elks Care, Elks Share.”

Hal Mattson, Lodge Publicity

Mission Viejo / Saddleback Valley Elks Lodge No. 2444