To learn more about Elks Programs that help our Youth and Veterans click on the headings below.
Elks Most Valuable Student Scholarships
Elks Most Valuable Scholarships are open to current high school seniors. You must meet the criteria as set forth on the Elks website. If you are interested, click on the link above. You will need to set up an account to apply for a scholarship.
The program is open to anyone residing in California or Hawaii who is a citizen of the United States of America and planning to pursue an eligible vocational/technical (voc/tech) course resulting in a certificate or two-year degree and leading to employment opportunities.
Lodge Scholarship Chairman: Doug Thompson, PER, Email: mybuddydoug@yahoo.com
Americanism Essay Contest
A program of the Elks’ Grand Lodge Fraternal Committee, this contest is geared towards students in 5th through 8th grades to promote patriotism among young people. The 2025-2026 contest theme is: “What Does Service To Your Country Mean To You” Click on the link below to get the contest information.
https://sandiegoelks168.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/americanismEssayContest.pdf
Lodge Americanism Chairman: Gary J. Marinelli, PER, Email: garymarinelli@sandiegoelks168.org
Drug Awareness
The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks welcomes you to the resource center for the Elks National Drug Awareness Program – the largest volunteer drug awareness program in the United States. Lodge Drug Awareness Chairwoman: Kathleen Kuttler, PER, Email: klk1954@cox.net
The Elks Hoop Shoot program is a free throw contest open to boys and girls ages 8 to 13.
If you are interested in signing up your child, please follow this link to the San Diego Elks Lodge Hoop Shoot website: https://www.sdhoopshoot.com
Lodge Hoop Shoot Director: Jeremy Launder, Email: SanDiegoElksHoopShoot@gmail.com
The Elks Soccer Shoot is a goal scoring contest in 5 age groups, for children under 7, 8-9, 10-11, 12-13, & 14-15. Like the Hoop Shoot program, it is designed to give kids an alternate to drugs. If you are a registered Elk at elks.org, you can click on the Elks Soccer Shoot heading above to log in and get more information om the program.
The Lodge Soccer Shoot Chairman is: Joel Contreras, Email: jpcontreras81@gmail.com
National Foundation
The ENF is able to help Elks build stronger communities thanks to contributions from our generous donors. Since inception, we have received more than $270 million in contributions and bequests. Today, we have more than 100,000 active donors and an endowment fund valued at $693 million.
Purple Pig
The California-Hawaii Elks have raised over $116.2 MILLION since 1950 to address the unmet needs of children with disabilities by developing a program of supporting services to aid these children at no cost to their families.
Watch this heart-felt video about the Purple Pig program and see how inspiring and powerful the program is working in action.
https://sandiegoelks168.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Purple-Pig-a.mp4
Elks pledge “So long as there are veterans, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks will never forget them.” The Elks National Veterans Service Commission takes that pledge one step further, and promises service to our nation’s veterans and military members, with a special focus on service to those in need.
Thousands of Elks volunteers give generously of their time, energy and resources to serve veterans and military members each day, to ensure that pledge is not an idle one.
Today, our volunteers provide direct service to veterans in more than 330 facilities each month. Through our grants to Elks Lodges, we connect with veterans and military members in their communities, providing them with services where they live. We help veterans rehabilitate and thrive through adaptive sports programs and therapy kits. And our Welcome Home initiative is reaching out to some of our most vulnerable veterans: those who are experiencing homelessness.