Several years ago the Forks Elks Lodge #2524 learned of the Dictionary Project and decided to purchase dictionaries for area third-graders. Both the teachers and students look forward to this event every year. The Elks feel this is one of the best projects to serve the need of our children.
The dictionaries were purchased with part of a $2,000 Gratitude Grant given to the Forks Elks by the Elks National Foundation for meeting their per-member goal.
From Dec. 9-11 the Elks donated 185 dictionaries to five local schools: Forks Elementary, LaPush Tribal School, Clallam Bay, Neah Bay and Queets-Clearwater. The children really enjoyed receiving their own dictionaries and they were excited to learn about all the different topics that are in them.
The teachers in each classroom also received new dictionaries and they were very thankful to the Elks Lodge for donating them to the schools.
The Dictionary Project, headquartered in Charleston, S.C., was founded by Mary French in 1995. The Elks and other nonprofit organizations across the nation participate in the distribution of more than 2 million dictionaries a year.
The Elks also delivered drug awareness coloring books to all schools to help inform children about the dangers of using drugs.
