Eleven local teams and organizations received cash injections last week after the Westlock Elks Lodge donated nearly $23,000.
President Pat Rufiange and past exalted ruler Harry Marshall personally handed out the cheques at the Memorial Hall March 28 during the Elks’ bingo night — an appropriate venue, Rufiange said, to thank those primarily responsible for the donations.
The Elks usually donate around $60,000, annually, to a variety of local charities and organizations.
“Most of the money was raised from bingo; that’s why we wanted to present the cheques here,” he explained.
“The mission statement of the Elks is to serve the community. It’s our mandate to do that and we enjoy doing it.”
In total, $22,700 was divided between the Aspen Primary Care Network, R.F. Staples travel club, Pembina North Community School, Gators Swim Club, Westlock Tae Kwon Do, Eleanor Hall School, Pembina Ringette Association, Westlock and District Food Bank, Westlock and District Refugee Settlement Association and St. Mary’s playground fund.
Linda McCoy, president of the EHS enhancement society was on hand with several students to personally accept a $2,000 cheque to buy new uniforms for the school’s junior high volleyball team.
“We’ll have enough to do both boys and girls teams,” McCoy said.
To help earn the donation, volleyball players from the school helped to clean Memorial Hall earlier in the month.
“The nice part is everybody we give money to, they find a way to pay us back,” Rufiange explained.
Westlock Tae Kwon Do Club president Sabine Goller also accepted a cheque from the Elks for $500.
The money helped to purchase new mats for the club’s annual tournament on March 12.
Without the Elks, she added, many organizations in the Westlock area would suffer.
“We needed that donation desperately and we’re grateful for it,” Goller said.
“There’s not much in Westlock that they haven’t supported. They’ve been a valuable asset to the community in every way.”
