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From November through March, Winchester Elks Lodge #2816 – located at 255 Shoppers Drive – hosts a fundraiser breakfast for different community organizations. 

Seeking aid for repairs and more, April offered something slightly different. 

On Saturday, April 5, the Elks Lodge hosted a fundraiser breakfast with hopes to support its organization in several timely matters. 

“The winter storm tore all of our gutters off on the back end of this place, and…before that, it blew…[fencing] down,” said Larry Hall, Exalted Ruler of Winchester Elks Lodge #2816. “We’re wanting to get that [worked on] and just get this place looking nice again.” 

With its major fundraising project being “Kids with Cancer”, Winchester Elks Lodge #2816 is active throughout the year raising funds to support children and families having to confront childhood cancer. 

Their dedication to working with kids in the Winchester community can even be observed at events such as the annual Bicycle Rodeo, which they put on in collaboration with Winchester-Clark County Parks and Recreation. 

The organization also supports veterans and first responders, observing all veteran-related holidays, providing Thanksgiving and Christmas meals for VA grounds, and assisting in programs such as “Shop with a Cop”. 

Each Thursday, the Elks Lodge can be found at the Rainbow Bingo Hall on Rockwell Road. 

Those attending Saturday’s breakfast – which included former Mayor Ed Burtner and his wife Carolyn, Magistrate Robert Blanton, Winchester Police Department Chief Travis Thompson, and staff of Winchester-Clark County Parks and Recreation – were treated to an appetizing meal. 

Among many options were pancakes, sausage, eggs, biscuits with gravy, bacon, and a choice of several available drink selections. 

Preparations were being made as early as 5:00 a.m., with the breakfast itself being served from 7:00 to 11:00 a.m. and a $12 admission cost. 

“Usually, Ralph [Jeffrey] and I are the first two here. [We] come in, get everything turned on and get everything started,” he said. “After we get through cooking, then we clean the kitchen back up and clean the club room back up. [It’s] usually somewhere between 12:30 or so [when] we get out of here.” 

Also present at the event, Clark County coroner Neal Oliver spoke highly of the Elks Lodge’s reputation. 

“They are very good partners in the community. They help a lot of organizations out from the [Clark County] Animal Shelter to the Parks board with these breakfasts,” he said. “It is top rate food and a great price to help out those organizations…it’s actually my privilege to come out and help that.” 

Hall expressed gratitude for community support. 

“[We] just want to thank the community for helping support us,” he said. “That’s what we’re about…it’s a great city, a great town [with] a lot of great people here, and it showed this morning.”