Past Exalted Ruler Pat Martino of Mission Viejo and Elks Public Relations Chairman Andy Costello of Laguna Hills were honored at a recent Elks meeting for their years of dedication to the Elks Dictionary Project. They received Certificates of Recognition from Exalted Ruler Derek Randles of Lake Forest. The Elks duo has personally handed out 35,200 dictionary/encyclopedias to third grade students in the Saddleback and Capistrano Valley school districts over the past eight years. When asked about the work, Project Chairman Martino said, “Of all the things we at the Elks do for charity and for the community, this has to be one of the most rewarding and enjoyable projects. Even in this day of the Internet, teachers have told us that the dictionary/encyclopedia is a great teaching tool, and is used in class throughout the school year.” Teammate Andy Costello added, “We receive thousands of thank you notes and cards from students and teachers. We save every one of them in large binders to remind our members of one of the good the Elks are doing for our youth.
In other Elks news, the Lodge announced their upcoming Youth Appreciation Night on May 6th. Outstanding youngsters from local schools and youth groups will be honored for academics, sports, and community service. The meeting will take place at the Elks Lodge, 25092 Marguerite Parkway in Mission Viejo on Tuesday at 7:00pm. The event is open to the public.
The Mission Viejo / Saddleback Elks Lodge No. 2444, celebrating forty-four (44) 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 146 year history of giving, “Elks Care, Elks Share.” For information regarding the Elks or membership, call 949 830-3557.
