RE ACHING OUT
Have a
Heart
Elks Lodge in Wayne is
committed to helping
the community
WRITTEN BY CAROL BOTT JARGER
T
30
WAYNE MAGAZINE HOLIDAY 2016
THE ELKS ASSOCIATION HOLDS FUNDRAISERS
like the Wings and Things dinner, in an effort to
support local and national charities, as well as
Elks Camp Moore in Wanaque for kids with
special needs.
food, and donated it to Wayne
Interfaith Network’s food pantry.”
Elks members service all veterans,
including those from WWII, Korea,
Vietnam, and Desert Storm. They
give special attention to veterans in
the Paterson Veterans Memorial
Home. They visit, talk, and listen to
their stories. They also host parties
where vets enjoy hot dogs, bingo
games, and prizes.
They hold Italian Night for
veterans, and Sweetheart Dances
for special needs young adults. They
award college scholarships to local
high school graduates. Children
and adults with special needs enjoy
annual picnics and holiday parties for
Easter, Halloween, and Christmas.
Elks Lodge #2181 supports Camp
Moore in Wanaque, the special state
project of New Jersey Elks. They raise
money to sponsor campers 18 to 23-
years-old who attend this sleepaway
camp, with one-on-one supervision,
at no cost to parents.
Children benefit from their participation in the national Hoop Shoot, a
co-ed athletic event for preteens.
“This event teaches them competition, interaction, and personal skills.
It encourages them to win and lose
graciously,” Tom says.
Elks members attend most local
Girl Scout Gold Award and Boy
Scout Eagle Award ceremonies,
honoring recipients with a salute
and gift of their own American flag.
They include Scouts in Flag Day
ceremonies at their lodge, and help
them earn Scout badges.
“Have a heart; Lend a hand” is
Barbara’s slogan as president this
year. For more information on how
to get involved, visit elks.org/
lodgelocater#2181. ■
ELK LODGE & ELKS CAMP MOORE: COURTESY OF ELKS LODGE #2181; WINGS AND THINGS DINNER: CAROLE RAFFERTY
he men and women of
Elks Lodge in Wayne
are always looking for
community-minded
people to help them
expand their charitable
outreach. As a non-profit organization, Elks put their love into action
every day, and live by the motto,
“Elks care; Elks share.”
“We care about the community.
We’re very patriotic, and we care
about the flag. We want to help
people less fortunate than ourselves,”
explains Tom Margiotta, Board of
Directors chairman for Elks Lodge
#2181. This Wayne chapter started
in 1960, and in 1996 women were
included as members during Tom’s
time as president, making the Wayne
chapter the first in the nation to do
so. This year’s lodge president (AKA
exalted ruler) is Barbara Margiotta.
The Wayne Elks Lodge looks local
and national opportunities for benevolence. They hold various fundraising
events for local causes, and donate
every dollar they raise for a specific
cause to that charity. They plan
events that bring levity to the
community, always focusing on
the greater good, which is raising
money so they can help more people.
Dances, comedy nights, and their
infamous beefsteak dinners are just
a few. “The local lodge gets grant
money from the Elks’ national foundation,” explains Tom. “Last year
we worked with Stop & Shop who
matched some of the funds we got.
With that money, we bought lots of