The holidays are a time of reflection, gratitude and connection with family and friends. This emotional atmosphere often extends to a broader sense of compassion and a desire to help others.  This is especially true at the lodge, because, truly, Elks care and Elks Share.

     A great example of this is our leading knight, Mark Schauwecker, who has accepted the California Hawaii Elks Major Project challenge to increase the monies raised for our Purple Pig to better fulfill our major project goal. 

     The Purple Pig or California Elks Major Project funds 32 paid therapists and preschool vision screeners to help disabled children when no other organizations can or will. These professional therapists and preschool vision screeners travel, sometimes great distances, to help children get care they need.

     Further, many times the children will have tests, e.g. vision screening, that catches early signs of amblyopia (“Lazy Eye”), a medical problem that, once caught, can be corrected early on and save a child from going blind, quite literally. 

     This challenge started November 1, 2024 and continues until January 31, 2025 with several opportunities for our Elk members to help raise funds. 

Let’s begin by saving a few dates in your calendars: January 14, 2025 is Wahoo’s Taco Night. It is the first widespread Purple Pig fundraiser of 2025 with proceeds from your meal helping to raise funds for the Purple Pig and our Leading Knight’s Challenge. Remember to mention Santa Ana Lodge #794 when you place your order! Flyers and locations for this event will be coming soon. 

     Next, on January 24, 2025, Santa Ana Lodge will be hosting our own fundraiser for Percy, our Purple Pig! Our wonderful DJ Ronnie will be spinning your favorite dance tunes and really knows how to get people on the dance floor! You will definitely see me on the dance floor because by now, everybody should know how much I love, love to dance!

     There will be raffle baskets and pig races, so build your teams and come have some fun. Let’s help our esteemed leading knight win this challenge! 

     Another way to help raise funds during this challenge, is to become a monthly recurring  donor and see your name in the quarterly CHEA Magazine. It’s super simple and quick. You only sign up once and your monthly donation of $5.00 will automatically be made. To sign up go online to SAElks.com/donate, click the “Feed the Pig” button and choose your donation type. Sign up, donate and receive a recurring donor pin! 

     The committee absolutely appreciates the support of the Wednesday night trivia gang! We will continue raffling chocolate filled pigs and baskets to help our esteemed leading knight in his challenge. Congratulations to our latest winner, Joy W. 

     The gift of giving continues at the lodge year-round and before I close, I would love to thank more members. As you may know, you become a 52 or a Century Clubber when your returned piggy bank contains at least $52.00 or $100.00. 

Here are our 52 and Century Club Members  from April through October 2024: 

• April: Albert Tesillo

• May: James Munselle, Bill Fratzke, and Ed Depont

•¶ une: Brian Pope and Century Club member Paul Brown (2)

• July:Joseph Morrissey and Tommy Mungia

• August & September: Sue Hawken and Century Clubber David Steadman (2)

• October: Salvador Lujan, Dinah Grope... and Mike Lopez, our Millennium Plus Level Donor!   

    It takes a lot of quarters to fill those piggy banks and the Purple Pig committee wanta to thank you from the bottom of our hearts.