The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, which began life as a drinking club before becoming a major philanthropic organization, still toasts their fallen members at every meeting and social event.
I was invted to participate in my first National Philanthropy Day dinner a week ago Thursday, on Nov. 14, and it was an inspiring event. It is almost entirely coincidental that the event took place at the Hollister Elks Lodge.
This was one of those deals where local individuals and businesses donate a bunch of money to buy a 10-seat table at a sit-down fundraiser—in this case to benefit the San Benito County Community Foundation. Each table gets to nominate one local do-gooder as Philanthropist of the Year, and the evening mostly consists of short presentations honoring these people. (SBC being an aricultural county with a rich food culture, the buffet dinner was also pretty damn good. And this being an Elks Lodge, there was a full bar open throughout the event. ;-)
I attended the soiree as a guest of Leslie David, executive director of BenitoLink, the nonprofit local news and information provider where I get to help run the newsroom. Our nominee was the DeRose Winery, which has an active philanthropic mission that includes donating to the Wounded Warrior Project and the California Wildfire Relief Fund, and has generously funded our efforts and those of several other local nonprofits. Other honorees included individuals who provide help and services to local folks who are struggling.
You may have no reason to care about San Benito County and its problems, but maybe you can understand that this was a big deal in this little county. The Court Appointed Special Advocates group that places kids caught in the legal system was honored, as was the community Food Bank. The friends of the San Benito Free library were lauded, and also the local Latino Coalition.
Vicki Fortino helped MC the event, and as she told the stories of the people being honored, and the challenenges they faced, she repeatedly got choked up, and deleivered her remarks through tears, also laughing. Frankly, it was kinda powerful, and her audience clearly appreciciated the sincerity of the message she delivererd, and the challenge of remaining stoic in the face of so much emotional stuff.
Because the event fell during a period of time when my friend and colleague Chris Neklason is putting together a series of articles about local service organizations, it held an added degree of poignancy for me. Without a doubt, the scores of folks, mostly affiliated with local businesses, who filled the banquet room that night, who have been donating time and money in and around Hollister, San Juan Bautista, and their environs, included a bunch of Rotarians, Soroptimists, and, I would bet, members of the League of Women Voters. This is old-school philanthropy. Here's to these organizations and individuals!
