Depew Courier/ Friday, November 14, 2014
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Elks Lodge hosts dinner to honor veterans By Sallie Moppert
THE LANCASTER SUN REPORTER
The Lancaster community came together to honor and thank local veterans this past Tuesday in honor of Veteran’s Day. The Lancaster Elks Lodge 1478 on Legion Parkway hosted its annual spaghetti dinner and invited all veterans and a spouse or guest to join the community in the complimentary dinner. “This is one of our biggest events of the year,” said Co-Chairman of the dinner, Bob Wilde. “We had over 400 veterans and their family members last year and we’re hoping to serve even more than that this year.” The veterans and their guests were treated to a spaghetti and meatball dinner, which included a chef salad, bread and butter, and dessert. The Lancaster Elks also provided coffee, tea, soda and other beverages. The attendees were served and assisted by various volunteers from the community, including Boy Scouts and students from both Depew and Lancaster High School. Between the different organizations and schools, there were more than 50 volunteers that helped to set up the dining room, as well as serve, seat and assist the veterans and also helped to clean up once the dinner was over. The Women’s Military Support Network of Western New York organization was also
present at the dinner. Volunteers hosted a small basket auction to raise money for the support network. “We wanted to find a way to honor all of the veterans in the area,” explained Lancaster Elks Lodge Secretary, Camille Lewandowski. “We’ve been doing this dinner for over five years now and really enjoy this opportunity to thank all of the veterans for what they’ve done.” A special ceremony was held before the dinner was served at 2 p.m. Members of the Depew Post 1528 took an opportunity to thank all of the veterans in attendance for their service and then said a few words to all of those who are Prisoners Of War (POW) or Missing In Action (MIA) and their families. The ceremony expressed how that, even though the POW’s and MIA’s may not be physically present, they will always be in the thoughts of the community and their many anonymous sacrifices will always be appreciated, even if no one ever has a chance to personally thank them. Even though Veteran’s Day may have passed for this year, the Lancaster Elks Lodge will still be doing its part to help veterans in need. With the coming winter season, homeless veterans and those down on their luck will be in need of some fresh clothes to keep them warm and comfortable. The Elks Lodge will be collecting clothes from
PHOTO BY SALLIE MOPPERT
Veterans enjoy dinner at the Lancaster Elks Lodge. the community to take to the Homeless Veterans Resource Center in Buffalo. Anyone interested in donating new or used clothing can contact the Elks Lodge. In addition to helping veterans, the Lancaster Elks Lodge is also very active in the community. The organization sponsors both Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts Troops, gives out scholarships to local high school seniors, spends time with veterans at the VA and more. The Lancaster Elks Lodge 1478 is located at 33 Legion Parkway in Lancaster. For more information, contact the lodge at 6851478.
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