Elks Care, Elks Share

By Rick Sherman

The Price Elks Lodge 1550 has been providing for needy families at Christmas time for more than a quarter century without a lot of fanfare. The Elks Club handed out checks to local programs this past week, funded by proceeds from its annual Sub for Santa Golf Tournament in August, and local donations.
“One of our four virtues is charity,” explained Elks Lodge Exalted Ruler Mary Alice Johnson. (The others are Fidelity, Justice and Loyalty). Johnson said the Elks Lodge is directly providing Christmas packages for seven local families, while also contributing to several programs that help fulfill Christmas wishes around the county.
Contributions include $2,000 for the Price City Fire Department Sub for Santa program, $1,000 for the Price City Police Department Shop With a Cop program, $1,000 for the Helper City/E Clampus Vitus Sub for Santa program, and $1,000 for the East Carbon City Sub for Santa and Shop With a Cop programs.
The “Clampers” have been providing Christmas for less fortunate kids for 35 years. Historian Roger Metzger says they have been holding various fundraisers all year long. “We started with five kids, he said, “We had 35 last year, and this year we will help 50 kids.” The kids will be taken Christmas shopping at Kmart in Price this Saturday, followed by a wrapping party at the E Clampus Vitus Lodge in Helper. The Sub for Santa Chairman is Phil Agee and the Noble Grand “Humbug” is Garth Pitts.
The East Carbon City Christmas projects are also funded by $2,500 from the City, and with donations of $1,000 from Sunnyside Cogeneration, and $400 from ECDC. City Recorder Liz Holt says 26 kids will receive Christmas toys and goodies and, “We also make up ‘care packages’ for the elementary teachers, which include hand sanitizers, Kleenex, wipes,- things like that.”
The annual Shop With a Cop event, which will include all local police agencies, will be held in Price on Saturday, December 19 beginning with breakfast at McDonalds. Coordinator, Price Police Sgt. Tracy Allred says the 25-30 kids will then be escorted in a parade with lights and sirens to Walmart to pick out Christmas gifts. Sgt. Allred says, “It’s a lot of fun for the officers and a chance to give back.” He people will come up years later and remind him of the time when they got to Shop With a Cop.