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Gateway Elks Lodge Charities

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Elks Childrens' Eye Clinic

The Oregon Elks have made the "miracle of sight" a reality for thousands of Oregon's children.  Since 1949, the Elks have supported the Elks Children's Eye Clinic at Oregon Health Sciences University's (OHSU's) Casey Eye Institute.  Over the decades, with millions of dollars and thousands of volunteer hours, the Elks have brought sight to over 100,000 patients who might not otherwise have experienced this most precious sense.
Elks provide more than 7,500 volunteer hours per year, equivalent to over 3 full-time positions and many have been working since the Casey Eye Institute opened in 1991.  Another way Oregon Elks help children is by giving each child who has surgery a stuffed "Casey the Elk" doll and a hand-made quilt or afghan.  Oregon Lady Elks creates these one-of-a-kind gifts for patients. CASEY THE ELK
The Elks Visual Committee and the Elks Youth Eye Services Foundation (E.Y.E.S.) provide funding annually, around a million dollars, to the Elks Children's Eye Clinic.  These funds support personnel, the latest technology and equipment and medical supplies.  Additionally, the Elks' generous support provides eyeglasses and contact lenses for children whose families cannot afford them.  The Elks Ophthalmology Center is the cornerstone of the Casey Eye Institute, a national leader in clinical care related to blinding eye diseases.
The Oregon Elks participate in planning events for the clinic such as the annual Easter egg hunt for current and past patients of the clinic and their families.  The most recent hunt had over 700 attendees.  The annual Elks Eye Injury Prevention Poster Contest is held around the state Oregon for elementary students with the state's Top 3 winning posters displayed at the clinic for a year.  Annually, the Strike Out for Kids Bowl-a-thon is held around the state to raise funds for the clinic as well.  These events and many others show the Oregon Elks' commitment to their state major project, the Elks Children's Eye Clinic.
volunteers
CLICK HERE to learn more about the Casey Eye Institute





Members of Gateway Lodge spend time each week volunteering their services at the Eye Clinic. They answer the phones, greet patients & guest, help them find their way around the building and generally do whatever they can.  Our Gateway volunteers at the Casey Eye Clinic are (l-r): Lois Freeman, Eleanor Brown and Shirley Stambaugh.


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Meadowood Springs Summer Camp for
Hearing and Speech Impaired Children

short blurb about picture contents Meadowood Springs Speech and Hearing Camp is a major charitable project of the Oregon State Elks Association and its subordinate lodges.  This camp would not be possible without the Elks' dedication and commitment to helping children 6 to 16 years of age with speech, language and hearing challenges. Each year, the Oregon State Elks and Lady Elks sponsor children to attend one of two 10-day summer residential camps/clinics.
The Elks became involved with Meadowood in December of 1968. $700 was raised after a program was outlined and presented to the Elks.  Since that time, the Elks have continued to support Meadowood Springs Speech and Hearing Camp.
In May of 1973, the Oregon State Elks Association adopted Meadowood Springs Speech and Hearing Camp as a major project under the leadership of the Physically Handicapped Committee.  In May of 1981, Meadowood became a separate committee of the Oregon State Elks and today it remains as one of the Association's major projects.
In the ensuing years, the Elks have contributed enormously to the growth of the camp. Today, the Oregon State Elks and Lady Elks contribute annually to the camp for sponsorships, medallion program, equipment maintenance, designated funds and general operating funds.  We should also note that a number of the cabins at Meadowood are named after individual lodges within Oregon.  Either that lodge built the cabin and still maintains it, or it was adopted as a project after the cabin was built.
Financial assistance is not the only service the Elks and Lady Elks contribute to Meadowood.  They also volunteer hundreds of hours each year maintaining the facilities at the camp.  Over Memorial Weekend and following two weekends, the Oregon Elks travel to Eastern Oregon to assess the winter damage and make repairs to the camp in preparation for the summer camp/clinic. 
What other ways have Oregon Elks helped Meadowood?  Construction of A-frame cabins, infirmary for nursing care, multipurpose building, large outdoor pool and accompanying wading pool, pool house with showers and dressing room, bathhouses, laundry facilities, large dining hall, man-made lake for fishing and canoeing and the list goes on.  Even grading and building of mountain roads into the camp was the result of the Oregon State Elks' tenacity and ingenuity.  Numerous "in-kind" donations have also been contributed by the Elks — to name a few: a steam table, salad bar, tools, paint, computers, printers, stuffed animals, clothing, art supplies, truck, gravel, equipment use, golf carts, lumber for decks, paper products, janitorial supplies, office supplies, books, videos, puzzles, games, food, kitchen supplies and equipment, pool chemicals and so on.

For more information about Meadowood Springs Summer Camp please CLICK HERE

NEW WAY TO ASSIST MEADOWOOD!

Meadowood Springs Speech and Hearing Camp is a major charitable project of the Oregon State Elks Association and its subordinate lodges.  This camp would not be possible without the Elks' dedication and commitment to helping children 6 to 16 years of age with speech, language and hearing challenges.

AND NOW YOU CAN HELP TOO!

eScrip has partnered with local businesses and major credit card companies to donate a percentage of your purchases to your favorite charity...every time you use your card!  
eScrip is proven to be a fantastic resource for fundraising where participating business partners contribute a percentage of your grocery loyalty cards, credit card, and debit/ATM card purchases to the school, group or organization of your choice.  Now you can sign up for this fanrtastic service to help support Meadowood Springs Speech and Hearing Camp!
And it is so easy!
Simply go online to eScrip.com and select "Group ID".  Enter the number 50001614 for Meadowood Springs Speech-Hearing Camp and then fill out the rest of the registration form and you're done!  Within about a week, every time you use the cards you indicate on the registration, Meadowood will recieve a percentage of the amount.  And, with your eScrip account, you can track your purchases and your donations to Meadowood!

You can also download the form by clicking HERE, fill it out and mail it in.  This method takes about 6-8 weeks processing time.

We at Gateway Elks encourage not only all Elks but anyone who wishes to sign up for this most worthy cause. It's for the kids and they are extremely grateful!

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Elks National Foundation

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The charitable arm of the Order is the Elks National Foundation. The foundation offers five national scholarship programs annually, Youth programs such as the Elks Drug Awareness Program and the Elks National Hoop Shoot Free Throw Contest and Veterans Services such as the Elks National Veterans Service Commission.  There is also a grant to maintain the Elks Veterans Memorial in Chicago.

For more information about Elks National Foundation please CLICK HERE

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