Moose Lodge spreads the love (and wealth) at Donation Dinner

By James Tubb on June 21, 2022.

KENDALL KING

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
kking@medicinehatnews.com

The Loyal Order of Moose Lodge No. 1073 presented more than $24,000 to local community organizations during its annual Donation Dinner, held June 16.

Celebrating its 110th anniversary in July, the co-ed service club is one of southeast Alberta’s most notable philanthropic organizations. 

“We take great pride in knowing what we do helps our neighbours’ kids and our coworkers’ parents,” lodge member, Shannon Collins, told the News. 

During the Donation Dinner, 10 Medicine Hat and area organizations were presented with cheques ranging from $1,500 to $5,000 in value. The Moose, the lodge’s fraternal body dedicated to general community service, presented a total of $20,000 to Moose Monarchs, HALO, the Mustard Seed, Medicine Hat Little League, Medicine Hat Minor Hockey, Safety City and AJ’s Loan Cupboard. 

Women of the Moose, the lodge’s all-female body focused on supporting regional women and youth services, donated  $4,500 to Kin Sport, Redcliff Youth Centre and Be Youth Centre.

“It’s not a lot but we try our best,” Collins said. “If it means 10 more kids get to play hockey because now they have a sponsored position, or a service dog to someone who couldn’t get one, or AJ’s Loan Cupboard can provide a bed to a hospice patient so they can stay home a little longer; that’s what these dinners mean to us … Without donations like these, many of our community youth and seniors’ needs would fall short.”

Collins is happy to have partaken in the dinner — the first since COVID arrived.

“COVID was hard,” she said. “We had to close our facility and stop all our fundraising. A lot of members, even now, are scared to come out. But we are rebuilding. Being able to host this dinner again is a sign we survived.”

For more information about Moose Lodge, call 403-527-3227.

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