Arnie Zimmerman
Special to the Tribune/Advisor
For over 85 years the hall has served as the largest, most-used, most-loved gathering place in the history of the City of Williams Lake and district.
A lot of people have many warm memories of special times at the hall.
The Elks Hall is used for many functions.
The Sea Cadets use it for their training programs.
The Good Food Box uses the hall to sell their food. No charge to them.
The Elks will be celebrating their 85th anniversary in October of this year.
The Williams Lake Royal Purple are celebrating their 65th anniversary this year. That means 145 years of combined years serving this community.
I am a 25-year member of the Williams Lake Elks and during that time the Elks and Royal Purple have donated thousands of dollars to people in need in our community.
The Elks and Royal Purple have given thousands of dollars in bursaries to students wanting to further their education and pursue their dreams.
The Williams Elks Lodge was founded in Williams Lake in 1930.
The impact these dedicated men and women have had on virtually everyone in Williams Lake is a matter of record.
Through the volunteer efforts over the decades, they have raised more than $1 million dollars through bingos, bake sales, catering, and hall rentals for charities.
The roof repairs done in 2008, set us back financially, leaving us with a debt of $110,000.
It is very difficult for us to pay off this debt.
We need to get rid of this debt in order for us to survive.
We, the Williams Lake Elks and Royal Purple are hoping the community of Williams Lake will help us save our Elks hall.
For the past four years the Elks and Royal Purple have only been able to pay down the interest on our loan which puts us in danger of losing the hall and our current call for help from the public.
The only source of revenue we have is the rental of the Elks Hall and donations from the community. We are struggling to pay our bills with the revenue we are currently earning.
We need help from the community now and new members to carry on all the good things we do, helping people in need.
If you are interested in joining the Elks or Royal Purple, please contact Arnie Zimmerman at 250-392-5451 or by e-mail at arniezim@shaw.ca.
You may also contact any of our members for more information.
A donation to the Elks is a donation to our community itself!
The Elks, the Royal Purple and the hall are woven into our culture and history.
Please give the Elks and the Royal Purple a helping hand.
Remember, it’s your Elks Hall too!