Ashland, KY 350

Ashland, KY Lodge News

2017 KY Elks News

BY: Ronda Nixon, Public Relations Chairperson, Ashland Elks Lodge 350

 

Got Grants? The Ashland Elks Lodge 350 does. The lodge was awarded the Beacon Grant, Anniversary Grant and Gratitude Grant this year.

Since August 2017, Lodge 350 has initiated 27 new members and provided 4000 volunteer hours to the community.

Anniversary Grant

The $1500 Anniversary Grant was used for a fence at Ashland Animal Rescue Fund (AARF). Volunteers from the lodge installed the chain link fence on AARF's new property.

 

Gratitude Grant

With Google, the use of dictionaries may seem obsolete, but the Lodge used the Gratitude Grant to make sure that local third graders not only had one handy but also learned how to use them.

 

Beacon Grant

Through funds obtained from the Beacon Grant, Lodge 350 was able to give each head start child in Boyd County, approximately 500, a present and ice cream party for Christmas. Jack Brown, PER and Jeanie Mills are pictured with some of the children from Fairview Head start.

 

 

 

 

Kids With Cancer Poker Run

On September 23, 2017, we had our annual Kids with Cancer Poker Run. Luck was on our side this year with beautiful riding weather. We had 23 bikes show up for the ride with about 32 participants. The bikers were led on a scenic ride thru Greenup County, over to Portsmouth, Ohio to eat, then thru the Ohio countryside and back to the Lodge. We gave out trophies and door prizes and then closed our silent auction. All said and done we raised about $5,000.00 for our state major project.

Old Timer's Night

The Lodge's Annual Old Timer’s Night was Wednesday, October 11, 2017. We have about 460 members who are eligible to attend, those with 25 years or more in the Order. Our speaker for the evening was retired Marine Lt. Col. Vance Huston, a 22 year veteran who served 3 Tours of Duty in Vietnam. Lt. Col. Huston was a helicopter pilot who served the White House and flew President Kennedy, his staff and his family throughout the country. Connie Messer and her kitchen staff prepared our “350 Extra Special” meal of pork chops, while Keith Adkins and his Food Committee served and cleaned up like a well oiled machine. We had 8 members who were eligible for their 50 year Pins and Certificates.

Pretty In Pink

The Lodge's Annual Pretty In PInk Party was Friday, Oct. 13, 2017, to benefit Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital's Pretty In Pink Program that helps with free or reduced mammograms for uninsured or underinsured women. Over $1000 was raised.


 

Christmas Parade

Ashland's 2017 Winter Wonderland of Lights Christmas Parade began at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2017. This years theme was “A Christmas Wish.” With over 3,500 participants and thousands more watching as the parade made its way down Central Avenue, 14th Street and Winchester Avenue. The Ashland Elks Lodge 350 was one of the floats and members volunteered to walk beside the drug awareness trailer handing out candy to the kids along the parade route.

Veterans Appreciation Day

Steen Funeral Homes hosted its 17th Annual Veterans Appreciation Day Sunday, Nov. 5, 2017, at 1 p.m. at The Lodge. When this event was started, American World War II Veterans were dying at a rate of 1000 a day. When asked why Steen Funeral Homes hosts this dinner for veterans every year, Brian Binion, Managing Partner said, “This event is our way of giving back to the veterans in our community and for their sacrifices. It is our way of showing how much we admire and support their commitment to our country.” Lovell Goodwin, who will turn 101 years old News Year day, was with his daughter, Joyce Leaver. Goodwin is a War War II Veteran, a longtime resident of Ashland and managed the Rug Department at Sears for 39 years. Leaver said her dad was still driving five years ago at the age of 95, but is now currently living at Woodland Oaks. Ashland City Manager, Mike Graese, a veteran himself, was keynote speaker. The veterans were treated with a dinner of baked steak, green beans, mashed potatoes, rolls and cake. The Elks Lodge members prepared and served the meal to over 100 veterans and their families.

Thanksgiving Dinner

Our crew served 1604 dinners to the Community on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 23, 2017. The combined crew of cooks, assembly line workers, servers, clean-up crew, delivery crew and telephone operators under the direction of Mark Ison did an amazing job as always. Our volunteers, members and non members, old and young, carry on an Elk Tradition that is a big part of our “ELKS CARE, ELKS SHARE” slogan that sets us apart in our community.

Memorial Service

We honored 41 absent members at our Memorial Service on Sunday, Dec. 3, 2017.

 

 

 

 

 

Children's Christmas Party

The Lodge hosted its Annual Children Christmas Party Dec. 10, 2017. Santa arrived bearing gifts for 230 children. A lunch of hot dogs, hamburgers, chips and cookies was served. Through a Beacon Grant and donations from members and local businesses, 500 Boyd County Head start students also received gifts and an ice cream party. The lodge continues the Elks tradition of “Elks Care..Elks Share.”

Christmas Dinner

We served a free Christmas Dinner Monday, Dec. 25, 2017, to children, veterans and members of the community. With the help of approximately 100 volunteers, which included Elk Members and Community Members, 237 dinners were served in the dining room and an additional 1200 were delivered or picked up.

Hoop Shoot

Six winners emerged in the Elks Hoop Shoot Sunday, Jan. 7, 2018, at Charles Russell Elementary School gymnasium. The winners were Taylor Jordan (8-9-year-old boys), Carley Boyd (8-9 girls), Ty Logan (10-11 boys), Emme Rogers (10-11 girls), Bayden Mills (12-13 boys) and Haleigh Renfroe (12-13 girls). The shooters competed in Cynthiana Saturday, Jan. 20, 2018 and Carley Boyd (8-9 girls) won first place and Haleigh Renfroe (12-13 girls) won runner-up. Carley will compete in the State Hoop Shoot Tournament in Frankfort Saturday, Feb. 10, 2018.

Additional Lodge Activities

The members of Ashland Lodge 350 seem to always be busy from making sure the day to day operations of the lodge are handled, volunteering when local organizations use the Lodge Room for meetings, performing Elk's Services at funerals or just hanging out in the clubroom. Our members are the heart of Ashland Elks Lodge 350 and without them the heartbeat would flatline.