San Angelo Elks Lodge to Provide GAFB Soldiers Home Away from Home Christmas

SAN ANGELO, TX - For the fourth year in a row, the San Angelo Elks Lodge 1880 members are reaching out to our local servicemen and women, offering a special event this Christmas Sunday, December 25.

 
Mike Bryan, president of the organization, and a member for the last 15 years, said, "We're hosting the event, but there are a number of sponsors involved, and we greatly appreciate all of their support."

Bryan also explained, "What we do is, the troops who are out there (at Goodfellow Air Force Base) [and] don't get a chance to go home, we bring them in, feed them, give them gifts, and play games. It just gives them something to do rather than sit in the dorm out there; and they have a big time. We also invite our first responders who are working on that day: our police officers, ambulance drivers, firefighters, and all those folks to come by and eat with us." 

Bryan added that, for some of those troops, this is their first time away from home at Christmas and that can be hard.

"Usually it's the younger crew, but there will be some older ones in there too," he said. "We'll also take meals out to the guards at the guard post. Last year, we had about 48, and this year, we anticipate a lot more."  

As for the club members helping out, he estimated there will be between 12 to 14. The event will take place at the lodge, located at 2121 S. Chadbourne Street.

Bryan noted, "We'll start at noon and run until 4 p.m. It's a pot luck so everybody here brings something. Some of the items on the menu include three or four turkeys, potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, bread, rolls, cranberry sauce, dressing, lasagna, and then a whole bunch of desserts."

 
It hasn't been decided if Santa Claus will make an appearance as of yet, but it is possible.

Bryan concluded, "It's a pretty simple little event, but we do have a lot of fun."

For more information on San Angelo Elks Lodge 1880, go to https://www.elks.org/lodges/home.cf…, check the organization out on its Facebook page, or call (325) 227-6920.