Kellogg Elks supports local students through literacy and drug awareness initiatives

KELLOGG — Members of the Kellogg Elks Lodge #1841 recently demonstrated their commitment to youth education and well-being by participating in two national initiatives aimed at supporting local students. 

As part of the nationwide Dictionary Project, lodge members purchased and delivered personal dictionaries to third-grade students at Pinehurst Elementary School and Canyon Elementary School. The project, founded in 1995 by Mary French of Charleston, South Carolina, promotes literacy among third-grade students as they transition from learning to read to using reading as a tool for learning. Since joining the program in 2004, more than 600 Elks Lodges have donated over 1.2 million dictionaries nationwide. 

“The Kellogg Elks are proud to support this meaningful literacy effort and invest in the education of youth in our local schools,” a lodge representative said. 

The dictionaries are intended for use both at school and at home, helping students become better writers, active readers, creative thinkers and resourceful learners. 

In addition to their literacy efforts, the Kellogg Elks participated in National Red Ribbon Week (Oct. 23–31) through the Elks National Drug Awareness Program (DAP), the largest volunteer drug awareness initiative in the United States. Lodge members distributed educational materials to Kellogg High School and provided drug awareness pencils, rulers, erasers and coloring books to students at Kellogg Middle School, Canyon Elementary and Pinehurst Elementary. 

The Elks Drug Awareness Program, established in 1982, partners with federal agencies such as the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to educate youth and parents about the dangers of illegal drugs and the misuse of prescription medications. Through its 2,000 lodges nationwide, the program reaches youth of all ages and backgrounds, promoting a drug-free lifestyle with the help of Elroy the Elk, the program’s mascot. 

Each year, the program distributes more than seven million pieces of anti-drug literature, including brochures, coloring books, posters and public service announcements. Educational trailers and partnerships with organizations like Marvel Comics further expand the program’s reach. 

Community members, businesses or organizations interested in receiving informational materials about the Elks Drug Awareness Program are encouraged to contact Carol Young at (208) 659-7075.