Veterans Committee Heads into a Busy Fall — and Needs Your Help
Submitted by Nicole Beach, Veterans Committee Chair
The Phoenix Elks Lodge #335 Veterans Committee is heading into a busy October and November with several opportunities for members to volunteer, support our veterans, participate in fundraisers and enjoy one of our biggest events of the year.
CLC Bingo — one Sunday each month. One of the committee’s most rewarding ongoing activities is Community Living Center Bingo at the Department of Veterans Affairs, located at 650 E. Indian School Road in Phoenix. Once a month, usually on the third or fourth Sunday, committee volunteers arrive around 11:30 a.m. with pizza, sweet treats and prizes, then spend the afternoon visiting, laughing and playing Bingo with the veterans. New volunteers are always welcome. The next scheduled Bingo at the CLC is Sunday, October 25. To help pick up pizza (pre-ordered by the committee) and treats, or to donate prizes, contact Lizanne Luke at (602) 571-1218 or lizanneelks@gmail.com.
Silver raffle. Tickets remain available through the Veterans Dinner Dance. Watch for Veterans Committee members and volunteers around the Lodge selling them, or grab yours at the bar. Tickets are $10 each and offer two chances to win different sized silver ingots. Tickets are limited, so act fast. To purchase or to help sell tickets on busy dinner nights, contact Becky Simons at (602) 697-1175 or Cookie Nonni at (602) 740-3935.
December Cash Calendar fundraiser. Beginning after Elktoberfest on October 3, the Veterans Committee will start selling its December Cash Calendars. The fundraiser runs through November 29, and you do not have to be an Elks member to purchase a calendar. The Cash Calendar gives supporters opportunities to win more than once throughout the month of December while helping fund the committee’s projects and programs. Big pay days are the first day of Hanukkah, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve. If you are interested in selling 10–15 calendars or want to buy one, reach out to the committee members and volunteers selling them; they are not available behind the bar.
October donation drive with Disabled Vets of Arizona. During October, the Veterans Committee will partner with Disabled Vets of Arizona for a bulk donation drive and pickup. Members are encouraged to watch for additional information about what items will be accepted, collection dates and the scheduled pickup. It is a great opportunity to clean out useful household items while supporting an organization serving veterans in our Arizona community. Volunteers will be needed to help organize, collect and prepare donations for the bulk pickup.
Veterans Dinner Dance — November 14. Tickets are available for the Veterans Dinner Dance, Celebrating 250 Years of Freedom, on Saturday, November 14, at $45 per person. If you have a veteran family member you would like to honor at the event, please donate a military portrait or active-duty photo (not originals, please) to Karen Seaman at (602) 315-0939 or punkimonki@aol.com.
We need ticket-selling volunteers. October and November will be particularly busy, and we cannot do it without our volunteers. We need members who can help sell December Cash Calendars, Veterans Dinner Dance tickets and fundraiser tickets on Wednesdays, Fridays, various Saturdays and at the PER Breakfasts. You do not have to commit to every date — even a two-hour shift can be a tremendous help.
There are also opportunities for members who would rather work behind the scenes. Consider joining or assisting with a Veterans sub-committee: Dinner Dance, Standdown (March), Chili Cook-off (January), Bowling Tournament (February) and more. Whether you enjoy organizing events, fundraising, decorating, working with veterans, selling tickets, coordinating volunteers or simply lending a hand, there is a place for you.
Special meeting schedule. Because of the number of projects happening this fall and winter, the committee has scheduled several special meeting dates, and all Elks members are welcome to attend: Thursday, October 8 at 5:30 p.m. (a 30-minute huddle before the Lodge meeting); Thursday, October 22 at 6:00 p.m.; Thursday, November 5 at 6:00 p.m.; Thursday, November 12 at 6:00 p.m.; Friday, November 13 at 4:00 p.m. for Dinner Dance set-up in the Heritage Ballroom; and Sunday, November 15 for Dinner Dance clean-up.
We appreciate our members and our volunteers — but most importantly, our veterans. Questions? Contact Nicole Beach, Chair, at (602) 679-1319 or nicbeach1@gmail.com.
Originally published in the October 2026 Tracks newsletter of Phoenix Elks Lodge #335. Read the full issue (PDF).
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