Aug 12, 2008 2 min read

This past spring, the freshman civic classes at Uniontown high school participated in an assignment to see hands-on how it is everyone’s civic responsibility to give back. The process was to teach working together to help for betterment of others, according to school officials. The project was to select a worthy charity, to set a goal, to develop a plan, then promote and raise funds. Charities from Make-A-Wish to the Salvation Army were represented.

Students from Michael Brown’s class worked on this project. They selected the Elks National Foundation to be their recipient.

“The Elks National Foundation is a charitable trust that started back in 1928,” according to the organization. “All unrestricted donations go into a permanent endowment fund, where each gift earns interest for lifetimes. Only the income earned by this fund can be used to support charitable programs. The mission of the Elks National Foundation is to help Elks build stronger communities. We fulfill this pledge by investing in communities where Elks live and work. We provide tomorrow’s leaders, our youth, with a healthy beginning; honor the Elks’ pledge to never forget our veterans; help the state Elks associations accomplish their charitable objectives and fund projects that improve the quality of life in local Elks communities. The ENF has contributed $278 million toward Elks’ charitable projects nationwide. These funds support our three college scholarship programs, the Elks National Drug Awareness Program, the Elks National “Hoop Shoot” Free Throw Program, the Elks National Veterans Service Commission, the Community Investments Program, and grants to State Elks Associations.”

This group of students made posters and displayed them throughout the school. They sold Shamrocks for a dollar. “This gift will keep giving for years to come by these students learning a lesson for life. How ironic that one day they may reap a scholarship supported by money that they helped raise,” a school official said.