Elks donate TVs, DVD players to veterans home

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Anna-Jonesboro Elks Lodge No. 1641 veterans chairperson Marylyn Crawford shared that dorm rooms at the Illinois Veterans Home in Anna were equipped with 19-inch televisions.

Crawford asked if the Elks could purchase one or two new, 32-inch televisions at a time to slowly replace 50 television sets at the veterans home.

Anna-Jonesboro Elks Lodge member Carter Lacy said he immediately had a much larger vision when it came to Crawford’s suggestion. Lacy also is Illinois Elks Association South District vice president.

Lacy said he wanted to make replacement of the TVs a South District project...with the idea of replacing all 50 of the sets at once.

The Illinois Elks South District includes 12 lodges: Anna-Jonesboro, Benton, Cairo, Carbondale, Du Quoin, Harrisburg, Herrin, Johnson County, Marion, Metropolis, Murphysboro and West Frankfort.

Lacy said that with the help of the South District lodges and the Illinois Elks Association, 50, 32-inch TVs were purchased, along with wall mounts, DVD players and HDMI cables.

On Saturday, representatives from South District lodges came to the Illinois Veterans Home in Anna to install the TVs, wall mounts and DVD players. The veterans home is located along North Main Street in Anna.

Lacy said the response to the project “has been great.”

“Not only did we purchase the mentioned items, but we also had $1,100 left over.

“We were able to donate this to The Haven in Carbondale and Haven House in Marion.

“We are so proud to give back to these true American heroes.”