Youth Activities, Highlights & Upcoming Events • October 2025

October Events 🎃🍂

• Trunk or Treat – Saturday, October 25
  Decorate your car, dress up, and hand out candy to Elks kids for a fun and festive evening.
• Preliminary Hoop Shoot – Monday, October 27 at Desert Shadows Elementary
  If your school would like to host a preliminary competition, please reach out—we’d love to partner with you! The top shooters move on to the next round on the second Saturday of December (location TBD).
• Santa Requests 🎅 – Due by November
  Please send requests to Stephanie Beasley or fill out the request form at the front of the office so we can make sure every child has a magical Christmas.

Youth Highlights 📚✨

In September, we awarded six more outstanding youth and handed out nearly 250 dictionaries to two local schools. Our Dictionary Project continues to grow, with at least 1,500 dictionaries needed this year to serve as many 3rd graders in our area as possible.

If you’d like to help, a sponsorship of $90 provides a box of 20 dictionaries. This is a meaningful way to directly support literacy and strengthen our growing relationship with local schools.

To make a donation, give directly at the Lodge, or contact Jeff Beasley or the Lodge office.

Drug Awareness Contests 🚨

The Elks Drug Awareness Contests are open, and the deadline is November 1! Youth can showcase their creativity in one of three ways:

• Poster Contest 🖍️
• Essay Contest ✍️
• Video Contest 🎥

It’s a chance to share their voice, encourage drug-free living, and compete for recognition at the local, state, and national levels.

Learn more and download contest rules here:

• Phoenix Elks Youth Drug Awareness:
  https://phx.elks.news/youth/drug-awareness/
• National Elks Contest Resources:
  https://www.elks.org/dap/resources/contests.cfm