Hot rods and hot dogs — the Santa Clarita Elks Lodge No. 2379, hosted its annual Elks Lodge Car and Bike Show on Saturday to raise funds and have a good time doing so.
Community members could display their customized cars and motorcycles for the chance to win a trophy, while also enjoying a boutique, live music and food such as hot dogs, tri-tip sandwiches and chili from the judged chili cook-off.
Competing for the best car, motorcycle or chili, attendees contributed to a bigger cause: raising funds for the Elks’ charitable programs.
“As everyone knows in Santa Clarita, we are a total nonprofit, and everything we collect, we give back to the community such as Bridge to Home, the Child & Family Center and the Young Marines,” said Ed Alvarez, trustee for the Santa Clarita chapter. “We’re also doing a food bank right now. Anything we do collect, we don’t keep. We help the veterans — we have a drive right now collecting sweatshirts and jackets. We also collect for the [Elks’] Purple Pig organization, which helps [children with disabilities].”
Alvarez has been a part of the organization for 17 years, while James McKenna, the 2026-27 exalted ruler, has been associated with the organization for 37 years.
“What we’re about as Elks is we want to give back to our community. We’ve done it quietly for decades. I’m 37 years in this lodge, and the reason why I joined was because of the charity. We give quite a bit of money away every year. The nice thing with our Elks National Foundation is we give money to them, and they give us grants back. We use that money to give kids books for free, and they get to keep them. They always think they have to give them back. You should see their faces when we say, ‘You get to keep them,’” McKenna said.
The Santa Clarita Elks chapter has been established for nearly 60 years, and has a history of helping the community to back it up.
“If you were to look up the Elks’ history, we were probably the first ones to help the people, our armed services that were coming back. We helped them and rehabilitated them. We started one of the first veteran hospitals, and then it became so large that the government took it over. Our history goes back to the early 1900s, but this lodge [will be] 60 years next year,” Alvarez said. “This car show gives everyone the opportunity to show off their cars, their paint jobs. There’s a small registration fee of $25 to bring it here. That helps us bring more money towards charity.”
Whether it’s through supporting the youth or elderly, working on a float for the Rose Parade, dressing up as Santa Claus for Christmas or buying a family’s full wish list for the holidays, the Elks are all about giving back.
“We do a hoop shoot every year, which is a free throw contest that goes all the way to the national level. And we had two girls from Riverside last year who got to ride on our Elks float in the parade,” McKenna said. “Anytime you see somebody you know in this community, that’s the best part. I call it the biggest small town in America.”
“If someone really wants to get involved, just look us up. I was a member for seven years and came once a month. Now I’m here literally every single day. I’m here almost every day doing something, and it feels good,” Alvarez said.
For more information on the Santa Clarita chapter of the Elks Lodge, visit scelks2379.org.
