Event News
LODGE ACTIVITIES By Jan Trudeau and Pam Wedwaldt
LODGE ACTIVITIES
Hello February! Here’s what’s happening this
month.
We start with Texas Hold ‘Em on Sunday Feb 1st , since there are no football games that day. Cards happen again on Sunday the 15th . The games start at 1 PM, please sign up in advance so we know
how many tables to set up. Card games will continue to be on Sundays since the football season is over.
Except for Sunday February 8th . That’s SUPERBOWL Sunday !! We will have a potluck that day along with games and prizes and some drink specials. The fun starts around 3 PM. You can find a food sign-up sheet in the lounge if you want to bring something to share.
Bingo will be on Saturday February 7th at 2 PM.
Saturday the 14th is the next Iron Chef Elks cooking competition. Join the fun at 3 PM. We always have tasty treats to taste/judge. It only costs $5.00 to tryall the goodies. The winner gets to choose the charity of their choice to donate the prize to. Come check it out. The required ingredient this month is PINEAPPLE. There should be some really great dishes made from this option.
Monday February 16th is President’s Day. We will put the flags up on Oracle Road. They go up at 7 AM, and come down at5 PM. Please come help out.
The next Saturday-Feb 21st will be our Have a Heart fundraiser. This event benefits the
Arizona Elks Major Projects. The major projects team always puts an awesome event with great food, games and prizes and raffle baskets too!! There will be a guest speaker, and music too!! It’s great fun and is a very important charity event too. Please join us. 5 PM cocktail hour, and 6PM dinner. The cost is $25.00 donation per person. Please sign up in the lounge, and pay when you sign up.
Darts are on the back patio every Saturday at 4 PM, except none on the 21st due to the fundraiser.
Wednesdays are back to the regular schedule with Tacos and Trivia on the 11th , and the full dinner and Music Bingo on the 25th . The other Wednesdays we offer a light meal. Check the board in the
lounge for the menus.
COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES
Thank you to everyone who helped with the January pasta food drive. At press time, I don’t know how many pounds of food we collected, I’ll let you know next month. I do know it was a great success. The food bank will really appreciate the donations to help fill their shelves with this staple food.
HEADS UP!! There will be a “Stuff A Bag” event in the very near future. I don’t have an exact date yet, but stay tuned….. there will be flyers and e-mails to get the word out about the date. We have 2 grants from the grand lodge totaling 9 thousand dollars WOW, so we will need all hands on deck for this one. We need people to stuff the bags, and helpers with trucks and SUV’s to help gather and deliver the food to the lodge for the event. I will post a sign- up sheet in the lounge.
Clothe A Child—Leslie Huerta and Cindy LeFaive
Clothe A Child—Leslie Huerta and Cindy LeFaive
Happy 2026 Dear Great Catalina Mountain Elks!
As you know we celebrated another great Christmas “Children’s Clothe a Child” event. The children were so excited and grateful for their gifts, stockings, custom pillow case & pillows, hats, scarves, mittens and pizza party. Sincere thanks to all who provided your smiles, love and happiness while escorting, photographing, working in the kitchen, finance, administration, marketing, house committee, decorating, donating very generous raffle prizes and cash donations!! This signature event is truly a “Team Event Partnering with Road Runner Elementary” and could not take place without “YOU” and we are forever grateful to you for making it so special for the children. Paul Slater, our great Exalted Ruler commented, at one point “I don’t think there was a dry eye in the place”!! It’s true!! The event makes our hearts so full right before Christmas and Easter.
On Friday, 1/16/26, Kristina Brewer, Principal, and Chad, 5th Grade Teacher, Roadrunner Elementary School, visited our Lodge and spoke about the positive difference you have made for the school children over many years. Here are some of their comments and what they’ve heard from some kids: Our job is to educate the children, but if they don’t have a good night sleep, a full stomach, clothing and a decent roof over their head for whatever reason, it’s very hard for a child to learn. An education for them is the best thing to improve their situation. “Our job as Educators with the help of our community is to not just provide academics but to support them as best we can”. “It was the best day of my life”. “It was the first time they saw Santa and Mrs. Claus in person, the kids were amazed”! “In some cases, the clothes, hats, scarves, pillows and pillow cases that we give them are brand new, not handed down, it’s the first time they’ve ever had them, and it’s their size for a change”. “One boy left his jacket everywhere around campus, Chad, his teacher, would tell the student to pick it up, then, when he received his new jacket, his size, with tags on it, he wore it for the next week and didn’t take it off”!
I’m so thankful we can do this for these children ~ thank you all!
Leslie & Cindy
Co-Chairperson’s
Children’s Clothe A Child
HOUSE COMMITTEE
By Pam Wedwaldt
With February comes the hope of some Spring weather, Super Bowl Sunday and most importantly, our Have a Heart Gala. This event supports the Jack Warter Jr. Youth Camp and The Steele Children’s Research Center. It is a night you don’t want to miss. Flyers will be up soon.
To find out what else we have going on, see the Community Activities for dates and times. As always, our Lodge depends on volunteers and even an hour or two a month makes a difference. Come to a house committee meeting to find out how you can help out. We meet the first Thursday of the month at 4:30 and our meetings are open to everyone. Hope to see some new faces.
Volunteer FOR WEDNESDAY AND FRIDAY DINNERS
By Ann Girvin
Hi Everyone!
My name is Ann Girvin, I recently took over scheduling and helping with Wednesday and Friday Dinners. I wanted to reach out to share some information and get feedback.
If I have spoken to you personally on either a Wednesday or Friday, thanks for taking the time to talk to me and share your thoughts and ideas.
Wednesday dinners have changed, the first, third and fifth will be a simpler offering such as a sandwich and a side. The second Wednesday is Tacos (and trivia). The fourth is Cindy’s dinner (with music bingo directly after), that dinner needs to be signed up for in advance.
Fridays will continue on as they have been, however there will be nights when you have a choice of meal size.
We are always looking for help, be it once a year, twice a year or more frequently. Helping does not mean you have to cook. We need people to collect money, help set up and clean up.
If you like to cook or simply to be in the kitchen and would like to help at a dinner, that is also an option. I can help pair you up with a partner for a dinner or if you want to plan your own, that is also an option. If you are planning your own, I have forms for you to fill out for reimbursement.
If your passion is baking, we would love to occasionally offer dessert! Just let me know what you would like to make and when.
To everyone else, I am always looking for new ideas on what to cook, what kind of sandwiches or simple dinner ideas you would like and truly any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
I will be starting a separate email just to set up volunteers and schedule Wednesdays and Fridays, please send me an email if you would like to be included in this at ann@tucsontrivia.com or call/text at 860-682-0848.
Thanks, Ann Girvin