Submitted by Andy Costello
The month of April is a busy month at the Mission Viejo, Saddleback Valley Elks Lodge. The new officers for the coming year take the reins of office in April, so the Lodge takes some time to reflect on the past year’s accomplishments and honor their own. Awards for hard working members are given out. An Inaugural Ball takes place welcoming the new corps of officers, and with all that happening, the work of providing for Elks Charities goes on. One notable event taking place on April 19th is the Elks fourth 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 OCF-OCF is that when a child has cancer, it affects the entire family.
The Mission Viejo, Saddleback Valley 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. 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. They also support their fund raisers and purchase Angel Tree gifts for their Christmas party. The Elks Bingo Committee has also provided monies, gift cards and gift baskets to individual families in need.
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
