The Groton Lodge of Elks, under the administration of Exalted Ruler Peter Lebejko, is pleased to report its charitable activities for the 2007-08 fiscal year. Lodge members donated thousands of hours and thousands of dollars to its various community programs.
The Lodge is the sponsor of Groton Boy Scout Troop 13-G. It provides the charter and its weekly meeting site. Lodge representatives attended ten Eagle Scout Courts of Honor and presented plaques to the honorees. The Lodge also hosts weekly meetings of the Groton Girl Scouts and the Nutmeg Fife and Drum Corps. Additionally, the Groton Elks sponsors the City of Groton Babe Ruth, Little League major and minor league teams and a Miss Softball team.
In April of 2007, the Lodge, in conjunction with the Groton Emblem Club #464, held a Red Cross bloodmobile. It held an Easter egg hunt for members’ children and grandchildren, sent Girl Scout cookies to servicepersons in Iraq, and assisted a member with medical expenses.
May events included a Mother’s Day brunch attended by 140 people, where all mothers received a flower. The Athletic Scholarship Committee held its fund raiser, enabling it to award four $400 scholarships. Officers and members participated in the Mystic Memorial Day Parade.
On June 16, the Lodge was host to a busload of veterans from the Rocky Hill Veteran’s Home. They were treated to a chicken barbeque and a comedian. The Lodge honored our flag with the annual Flag Day Service, sent $1,000 to Kansas tornado relief and provided $400 in scholarships to the New London Jr. ROTC summer program.
Lodge Officers and members marched in the Groton Independence Day Parade. The annual family picnic was attended by over 100 people in August. The Lodge was represented at the City of Groton Day by its Drug Awareness and Safe Kids committees.
Families were given 119 bicycle helmets, 60 smoke detectors and 30 carbon monoxide detectors. At the Bike Rodeo later that month, 54 more helmets were distributed. The Lodge was a $1,000 sponsor of the American Warriors project, a veteran’s trip to Washington D. C. Additional donations were made to the Alzheimer’s Association, Relay for Life, Jimmy Fund, Walk for Diabetes and the Michael Teague Scholarship Fund.
In September, the Lodge held its annual Soccer Shoot for youth and hosted the CT Elks East District Soccer Shoot. The Lodge voted to provide a meeting place for the Groton VFW and made donations to the American Cancer Society, Lower Mystic Cemetery Association and Waterford Country Day School.
The Safe Kids committee conducted a third helmet fitting in October at the Sub Base. At this event 196 helmets, 60 smoke detectors and 50 carbon monoxide detectors were distributed. The Lodge hosted Ledge Light and United Cerebral Palsy fundraisers and donated to the Tammie Poulos fund and the Wreaths Across America project.
Lodge Officers and members participated in the November Veteran’s Parade in Hartford. It hosted many sailors at the annual Armed Forces Night. A benefit was held at the Lodge for the victim of a motorcycle accident, and the Be-A-Buddy fireman’s benefit raised $15,000 for that family. The Lodge donated Thanksgiving meals to eight needy families, hosted a second bloodmobile and donated to Hospice and the Child Agency of Southeastern CT.
