"Vibrant and alive after 85."
That's the slogan Dean Chow chose to describe the Estevan Elks as they enter into their 85th year of existence.
Vibrant and alive might even be an understatement.
According to Chow, former exalted ruler of the Estevan Elks Lodge 113, the Estevan club now has the largest membership of all 61 Elks Lodges in Saskatchewan. Not bad, considering it's also one of the province's oldest.
Interest in the service club had been waning in the last decade or so, but within the past one or two years, the lodge has welcomed a number of new, young members, Chow said.
With the club as popular as ever, and a monumental birthday on the horizon, Chow has been planning a two-day celebration to commemorate the 85th anniversary.
The festivities begin on Oct. 1 at 6 p.m. in the Elks lounge for registration, as well as an hors d'ouevres and cocktail mixer with piano bar entertainment provided by local musician, Nathan Pylypuk.
A slideshow and film presentation will also be playing throughout the weekend.
The celebration will carry over to Saturday, when the lounge will be open again for registration, starting at 2 p.m.
At 6 p.m., cocktails will be served upstairs in the Elks Hall, followed by a program, which will include a ceremony and banquet at 7 p.m.
A number of esteemed guests will be on hand to deliver their greetings and to help celebrate the anniversary, including representatives from the City of Estevan, MLA Doreen Eagles, Estevan Elks Exalted Ruler Art Dougherty, District Deputy Kal Nankivell, provincial president Fred Weber and a very special guest, the national leader of the Elks of Canada, Dave Hurley.
Hurley resides in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, and will close out the ceremony portion of the evening.
A dance will follow the speeches, with music by local band Garnet and the Classics.
A special service will take place at 11 p.m., called the 11th hour ceremony, in which those present will show fellowship and pay respect to past Elks members.
Dancing will continue after the ceremony and will bring the weekend's celebration to a close.
Up to this point, Chow said about 110 tickets have been sold, with 50 tickets remaining for anyone interested in attending. Chow made it clear that guests do not have to be past or present Elks members to attend; anyone who wishes to come out and celebrate and support the lodge is welcome.
Tickets are $50/person, with the money going towards paying for the weekend's festivities. Any leftover proceeds will go directly back to the lodge, where it will get put back into the community through the number of charity services the Elks provide.
For those interested in buying tickets, or for more information, call Lori at the Elks lounge, 634-3627, or call Dean Chow, 634-6795 (home) or 634-6015 (work).
