The Jacksonville Elks Lodge #682 has cancelled their 38th Annual Christmas Auction due to COVID-19 concerns. Knowing that COVID made for a challenging year, the lodge planned to make the event more of an open house and a silent auction. Todd Thorsen of the Elks says due to recent restrictions that the lodge thought it would be best to cancel the event: “We just couldn’t ask businesses that have been closed for a long period of time to donate, because they’re hurting, too. It just made more sense not to have it this year and do a mail-in campaign and a raffle.”
Thorsen says the lodge has replaced the event with a raffle to still help try and raise the donations they need: “It’s called the Youth Christmas Auction Raffle. Tickets are $10 each or 3 tickets for $25. You pick an item that you want to be you know in the raffle for. It’s either a Pellet Grill or a Jones Meat Locker Meat Bundle or a Fitbit Versa 3. If you buy 3 tickets for $25 you can pick which item you want to be considered for in the raffle.”
The original goal of the Lodge was to raise $15,000 to be allocated to the children’s charities: Midwest Youth Services, Advocacy Network for Children as well as a portion to be used for the 3rd Annual “Elks – Kids Safety Day”. The Lodge raised $10,000 by asking members to donate through a mail-in campaign. For more information, check out the Jacksonville IL. Elks Lodge 682 on Facebook.