Ernie Allen started selling raffle tickets on Wednesday night at the Elks Lodge meeting. He raised $200 — for the club’s own scholarship fundraiser.
That brings the total in that account to …
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Ernie Allen started selling raffle tickets on Wednesday night at the Elks Lodge meeting. He raised $200 — for the club’s own scholarship fundraiser.
That brings the total in that account to $600.
In normal times, Mexico’s Elks Lodge 919 presents $4,200 in scholarship money, divided between three students in a three county area that includes Audrain County.
The raffle to raise funds for the scholarships is a first for the club.
“We’ve always had money in that account,” Allen said.
The Elks Lodge fills its coffers through the rental of its facilities, along with food and beverage sales. But COVID-19 shut things down twice in 2020 – from April to September and again starting in November.
Doors have been closed since.
“Last night we voted to shut down again,” Allen said on Thursday.
So the club is resorting to its first fundraiser in the hope of gathering enough money to give something to area students. On offer is a Lyman Great Plains .54 caliber percussion black powder muzzle loader donated by Graf & Sons.
Tickets are available now and the drawing will be held on April 30.
Allen believes members of Mexico VFW Post 3772 will buy several tickets – he’s part of that group, as well, having spent 25 years in the army with a stint in Vietnam, retiring as a Lt. Colonel.
Three years ago the VFW voted to restore a scholarship program that had been dropped in the past. Initially $5,000 was divided between two deserving Mexico High School graduates, in memory of two of the seven men from Audrain County who died in Vietnam.
Last year the organization added Community R-6 to the program, granting $5,000 between two students – a total of $10,000 in scholarship money.
Plans were to include Van-Far High School this year.
“But we’re probably going to have to hold off,” Allen said.
The VFW building has been shut down longer than the Elks Lodge. That means the regular Bingo nights have been silent since October. And Bingo is the organization’s only source of income.
How much? “You’d be amazed,” Allen reported.
The existing memorial scholarship program will not be affected by the pandemic, at least this time around.
“We can award the scholarships, but …” he added.
COVID-19 has reached deep into the pockets of nonprofit organizations, and the ripple effect has been felt elsewhere. The Elks and the VFW donate money to events like Shop with a Cop and to pantries such as The Help Center, as well as other events and community programs.
“We put it back into the community,” Allen explained.
The Elks plan to distribute whatever comes into their scholarship fund, even if the raffle haul doesn’t reach $4,200.
As for the VFW, Allen points out that most members will have had their second COVID-19 vaccination round by March 1.
“Then we’ll think about reopening,” he said.
