Franklin Elks Lodge Secures Grant to Help Local Police

| August 4, 2018

FRANKLIN, Pa. (EYT) – The Franklin Lodge #110 of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks recently secured grant funding for the purchase of two automated external defibrillator (AED) units for the Polk Borough Police Department.

The Franklin Elks recently obtained a grant for a community service project.

The Elks National Foundation Community Investments Program offers grants available each year to qualifying local Elks Lodges to help meet needs in their local communities.

Mary Kay McKinney, Exalted Ruler of the Franklin Lodge, explained, “We have a stipend that we give yearly to the foundation. If we meet our goal for a year, then the next year we can apply for grants to use in the community.”

“We’re essentially getting money back that we put in and then it goes to the local community.”

This year, the Franklin Elks were looking for a project to invest in when Elks’ member Benjamin Whitehill noted that the Polk Borough Police Department did not have any AED’s.

“It definitely is a need because they serve such a rural area, and they are often the first responders in an emergency,” McKinney said.

The Polk Borough Police Department covers a huge area ranging from Clintonville to Polk Borough. The AED’s will allow the department to better serve the citizens of the community by being able to provide a faster response and early defibrillation if someone suffers a cardiac event.

With response times being longer due to the geographical area, this is a great asset to the residents of Polk Police’s coverage area.

The Franklin Lodge #110 of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks is part of a fraternal organization founded on February 18, 1868, celebrating its 150th anniversary this year. The Elks promote and practice four cardinal virtues being Charity, Justice, Brotherly Love, and Fidelity. The Franklin Elks Lodge is a huge part of the Franklin community and surrounding areas.

“It’s not just a place to go have a beer and have fun, that’s part of it, but we do try to do a lot for our community,” McKinney said.

“We do have a lot of benefactors that have bequest money to us, and we have a charity committee to go over requests.”

The Franklin Elks Lodge participates in a state-wide project called “The Home Service Project.” This charitable project employs 24 nurses statewide who care for children with developmental and physical disabilities. Last year, the Franklin Lodge “Hailed” the Child of the Year, Dylan Cralley, of Cooperstown. The Franklin Elks also sponsored a local soccer shoot for the PA State Elks program, Reece Henderson, who placed third in the competition.

About the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks

The Benevolent Protective Order of Elks (BPOE) is a patriotic organization. As a whole, the organization started a tradition on June 14, 1907, to observe what they deemed to be “Flag Day” and held a ceremony nationwide in every lodge. This tradition was later adopted by Congress as an official observance. In addition, the organization had a state-wide essay contest. The theme for this contest was “Why Veteran are American Hero’s.” A local child Dustin McMullen of Dempseytown was the 2nd place winner.

The BPOE organization has a motto: “As long as there are veterans, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks will never forget them!” In June, officers and members of the Franklin Lodge visited the Erie VA Medical Center and provided lunch for 20 plus veterans, most of them in wheelchairs, and visited with the veterans and their families in the Community Living Center. The lodge was also able to donate a microwave to the Community Living Center for the veterans to use who reside there.

To help build stronger communities, the Franklin Elks supports the Elks National Foundation. The foundation supports educational scholarships for youth; the lodge alone donated $38,000.00 in scholarships to children in the Franklin area. The Elks Lodge also provided over $150,000.00 to community projects, events, and people in need last year in our area.


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