Elks National Foundation Blog

by Fox Maikovich BackBoard Member Hi! My name is Fox Maikovich, and I was a 2010 Hoop Shoot National Finalist. When I was in sixth grade, my basketball team practiced at a local elementary school, which had a flyer on the school message board announcing the Elks’ Hoop Shoot contest! Who would have ever imagined that this competition would provide me with so many great memories? Making it to the National Finals is anything but easy. In my first two years of competition, I only made it to the State contest. I finally had my breakthrough year in my final year of eligibility! Making it to the National Finals was a dream come true. At the time, the Finals were held in Springfield, Massachusetts—the home of the Basketball Hall of Fame. The Elks rented the Hall of Fame just for Finalists and family members the night before the contest. Being able to take my family was an experience I will never forget. At the National Finals, I made 21 of 25 free throws, tying for fifth...

 Naval (Port Angeles), Wash., Lodge No. 353 Thanks to the Elks, the Loggers of Crescent High School in Joyce, Wash. are bringing home the gold! Using an Elks National Foundation Gratitude Grant , the Elks of Naval (Port Angeles), Wash., Lodge No. 353 built a long jump pit for the local high school. Because Crescent High School has limited funding, its athletic program has suffered. With this upgrade, track and field athletes have a safe, effective place to practice and compete. The Elks also constructed a cover for the pit to ensure that it will be available for athletes in the future, despite the harsh Northwest weather. “The new long jump pit will create a safer environment for athletes from Crescent and from visiting schools,” says Project Manager Sherrie Riggs. “So many athletes in the community will use the long jump pit. The Elks and the school really took pride in this project.” Did your Lodge meet the National President’s per-member-giving goal in 2012-13? Ther...

Oakmont, Pa., Lodge No. 1668 Play ball! Thanks to an Elks National Foundation Gratitude Grant , members of Oakmont, Pa., Lodge No. 1668, supported the Riverview Athletic Association by funding a portable PA system that can be used for indoor and outdoor kids’ sporting events. Elks look forward to cheering on local student athletes to victory! The ENF awards $2,000 Gratitude Grants to Lodges to directly address local needs. Lodges are eligible to apply for Gratitude Grants after meeting the GER’s per-capita goal. To find out more about Gratitude Grants, visit www.elks.org/enf/community .