Raising money to help local and national charities, the Santa Clarita Elks Lodge 2379 hosted its sixth annual Car and Bike Show, which included a chili cook-off, boutique and more, Saturday.
The multilayered event invited the community out to the Elks Lodge to enjoy the sight of classic and specialized cars and motorcycles, and to enjoy barbecue and chili and buy various boutique items, with the money going directly to various charity organizations.
The Car and Bike Show portion of the event had cars of various makes and models lined up on the lodge’s paved parking lot to be judged for different categories such as “Mayor’s Choice,” “Most Likely to be Pulled Over,” “Chick Magnet,” “Best of Show,” “Best Lowered,” “Best Paint” and “Best Classic,” according to fliers from the event.
This year, money raised from the event will go to the Elks National Fund, which gives to various charities across the country, including the Young Marines, the Emblem Club, direct donations to handicapped children and the Hawaiian Elks National Foundation for glasses, according to Grace Elliott, who volunteers at the Lodge.
“The Lodge is a place where people come and feel comfortable and we do a lot of fundraisers for charity. Everyone is just so willing to give,“ said Elliot. “The Elks give more scholarships than anyone else except the U.S. government, so Elks are really high up there. There was one student in Stevenson Ranch who got the $60k scholarship.”
A portion of this year’s proceeds will also be going to the Lodge itself to help with renovations of the 50-year-old building to help members continue their mission, said Roger Lowe, the Lodge’s 2018 exalted ruler.
“We (the lodge) take care of those in need,” Lowe said about the lodge. “We raise funds through activities in the community to donate, we donate to the community.”
Food was also provided through barbecue shoe cut tri-tip cooked by lodge member Kelvin Swanson.
The lodge frequently holds events every week that range from simple bingo nights to November’s Toy Run. For more information on the Elks Lodge visit their website at https://www.elks.org/lodges/home.cfm?LodgeNumber=2379 or the lodge site itself located at 17766 Sierra Highway in Canyon Country.
