Pontiac receives $9,000 in donations from Elks Lodge

The City of Pontiac received a nice little gift in two parts from the Elks Lodge at Monday's City Council meeting.

The city received two checks totaling $9,000 to aid in a couple of community programs.

“The Elks Club is dedicated to supporting youth activities as much as we possibly can,” Bill Tolbert of the local Elks Lodge said. “Eighteen hundred and fifty Elks Lodges across the nation do all they can to help out and reach out to youth groups and our children.”

Tolbert explained that nationally Elks lodges have done well in supporting youth activities. Locally, he acknowledged that Pontiac's lodge has been recognized for its efforts.

“Last month, at our state convention in Springfield, Pontiac Elks Lodge was given two first-place awards for charitable contributions to children's care," Tolbert said. "Because of those charitable contributions, they entitled us to some Elks National Foundation grant money.”

Parks and Rec Department Director Taylor Baxter accepted the check of $2,000 as the contribution from the Elks to the summer youth camp. This is the third year the Elks have helped out with the camp.

The second gift to the city was quite a bit larger and more reflective of the patriotism the Elks support.

“The Elks Club is a distinctively American organization,” Tolbert said in introducing the next topic. “We do all that we can to promote Americanism within our lodge and in our community.

“A few things that we do that support Americanism in Pontiac would be the Threshermen's Parade. We carry that big ol' flag through the city of Pontiac, recite the Pledge of Allegiance at the grandstand. It just renews my sense of pride in American and American citizens every year that we carry that flag. To see veterans stand up and salute the flag and the common American citizen stand up and put their hand on their heart as the flag goes by. It just touches me in the heart.”

He added that the lodge does what it can to help veterans. Tolbert also pointed out that this patriotism extends to honoring America on its birthday.

“The Elks Club and the City of Pontiac have had a collaboration of 20 years of promoting the Independence Day celebration,” Tolbert said. “So, Pontiac Lodge would like to present a check to the City of Pontiac for the Independence Day celebration.”

This year's Independence Day celebration event will take place July 1 at The Oaks.

This article originally appeared on Pontiac Daily Leader: Pontiac Illinois receives $9,000 in donations from Elks Lodge