El Jebel Shrine Donation Drive Benefits Kids with Severe Disease
by Basha Cohen |
North Denver community member, the El Jebel Shrine, is holding two fundraising events in June. A used household items drive in partnership with Goodwill Industries on June 28-30 and a black tie event on June 22. Both events will raise money for the Shriners Hospital Patient Transportation Fund in order to provide free travel for the patient and a family member to one of the 22 Shriners Hospitals for Children.
These specialized hospitals offer health care services, regardless of the patients’ ability to pay, to children under the age of 18 who are suffering from orthopedic birth defects, severe burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft palettes, to name a few. This international health care system also provides innovative research and outstanding teaching programs for specialty pediatric care. According to Mike Trevathan, High Priest and Prophet, (a key member of the organization’s Board of Director’s with exotic titles) “We had our 1 millionth child come through our doors last year. You do not have to be part of the Shriners to benefit from this care. The only requirement is that the child is under the age of 18, with a condition that we believe we can help.”
Readers can help these children by bringing donations to the El Jebel Shrine Center located at 4625 West 50th Avenue on Friday, June 28 through Sunday June 30 from 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Goodwill trailers will be on hand to haul away your belongings. Tax receipts for donations will be available. Trevathan notes, “Goodwill is looking for the following items. Clothing, shoes, linens, furniture in good condition, sporting equipment, toys, housewares, jewelry, books, small appliances, computers, fax machines, cell phones and electronics. They cannot take mattresses, large appliances, engines or building materials such as wood, cement, chemicals, plastic pipe, or scrap metal.”
In addition to the Goodwill donation drive, El Jebel Shriners 125th Anniversary celebration will be held on June 22. It is the first annual benefit for the Shriners Hospitals for Children. This black tie evening with charity auction will raise money for the El Jebel Hospital transportation fund, as well. The cost is $150 couples/$75 for singles. If you are interested in attending, RSVP to El Jebel’s office at 303.455.3470
Shriners International is a fraternity based on fun, fellowship and the Masonic principles of brotherly love, relief and truth. There are approximately 340,000 members from 193 temples (chapters) in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the Philippines, Puerto Rico and the Republic of Panama. It is not a religious organization, although its members must believe in a higher power, no matter what diverse belief they might hold. Trevathan explains, “The Shriners started in 1872 by the Mason’s in New York. It was envisioned as an organization to have fun.” The fascination with the exotic Middle East, in particular, mystical Morocco, was selected as a theme, and hence the elaborate costumes and whimsical Fez caps, became the organization’s theatrical look. He continued to explain the evolution from fun to funding, “As the organization grew in the early 1900’s, the desire to ‘give back’ to the communities established the notion of healthcare for children.” The first hospital was opened in Shreveport, Louisiana to combat polio, a nearly extinct disease today.
The El Jebel Shrine’s transportation fund in Denver spends $120,000 per year, to help pay travel costs for the families. Richard McKee notes in his April 2013 Hospital Patient Transportation report for El Jebel “Members of the Medical Staff are actively working with kids at referral clinics and follow-up clinics. We regularly make presentations about our hospitals to healthcare professionals. If your inner body, civic club, or group would like to have a presentation about Shriners Hospitals, and how we support the hospitals, please contact us through El Jebel’s main office. Officers of El Jebel’s Medical Staff are available every day by telephone to answer questions about our hospitals and to assist with referrals for children who need the help of Shriners Hospitals for Children – call 303 455-3470.”
Mike Trevathan and George Moreno, two of the leaders running this donation drive, are members of the El Jebel Shrine Dance Band, also known as “The Shrine Family Band.” Organization members, as well as their wives, girlfriends, daughters and granddaughters play in this band. Dances are at the El Jebel Shrine Center on a monthly basis beginning this Fall on September 15, October 20, November 17 and December 22 from 6:00-9:00 p.m. It is well worth the visit to see the El Jebel Event Center billed in their Red Fez newsletter as a place for “Classic events-historic setting served with a refreshing twist to ordinary.” Our fez caps are off to you, El Jebel Shrine.
El Jebel Shrine Center Shriners Hospital for Children Transportation Fund Drive
4625 West 50th Avenue 303-455-3470 June 28-June 30, 2013
