Jeff Jenkins, administrator of the Lodge, is also quite proud of the financial and other support the members have been able to give to Moose Heart, a small community near Aurora, Illinois, that’s home to several hundred children. The children are in need of a home for a variety of reasons.

“It’s the largest child city to take in kids,” Jenkins said. “They have their own city. There’s about 300 kids at any one time. They have their own school, their own houses.”

Each house has 8 to 15 children living it. Each is supervised by a couple and one other person.

One of them is named the Iowa House.

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
Fort Dodge Moose Lodge member Tom Parsons, of Fort Dodge, helps spread the candy out on the field Saturday morning during their annual Easter Egg Hunt in Dodger Stadium.

“We help support that,” he said proudly.

The Women of the Moose Auxiliary puts on a breakfast at the lodge every other Sunday. The servers tips get directed at several of the children at Moose Heart.

“We have two sunshine children at Moose Heart,” Jenkins said. “The money helps buy Christmas and birthday presents or let them have a pizza night.”

Another program Jenkins is very proud of is the Tommy Moose program. It buys and distributes a moose stuffed animal that firefighters, police and sheriffs, EMT crews, the Domestic/Sexual Assault Outreach Center, the YWCA and the staff at children’s wards at hospitals can give to children for comfort if they’re in a traumatic environment.

Fort Dodge’s Lodge works in cooperation with the District Moose Legion on the program.

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
Jeff Jenkins, administrator for Fort Dodge Moose Lodge 806 deals a hand Saturday morning during the annual Dave Gochee Texas Hold’em Poker Tournament. Proceeds from the event are donated to Youth Shelter Care.

“We just took two cases of Tommy Moose to the Sheriff’s Department, the PD and the Fire Department,” he said. “We also took some out to the children’s floor at the hospital.”

Another project they do every year makes a lot of people with a sweet tooth happy.

“In October, November and December we have the Moose Legion Peanut Brittle,” he said. “We did 1,557 pounds this year. We make it all here.”

Jenkins said that in addition to their own efforts, Cargill donated the needed syrup.

The Auxiliary also has their ongoing Blankets for Babies program.

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
A group of children run out onto the field Saturday afternoon to collect candy at the annual Moose Lodge Easter Egg Hunt in Dodger Stadium. The children managed to jump the starting gun by almost five minutes this year.

“Some of them are handmade, some of them are purchased,” Jenkins said. “We donated a lot to D/SAOC and the YWCA. That was a good program this year.”

The Heart of the Community is another effort he’s proud of.

“We try to donate gas cards for the VFW to use to transport vets to Des Moines for doctor appointments,” he said.

The Almost Home Animal Shelter is also collected for, pet food, towels and toys. The group donates several bike to the annual Bikes for Tykes drive, has collected a variety of hygiene and other things needed at D/SAOC and donated pillows to the Beacon of Hope Mens Shelter. They also held a Christmas party for One Vision where each child was presented with a gift purchased just for them after they had filled out a wish card.

“The kids have a good time,” he said.

Of course, there is that Easter Egg Hunt.

Jenkins said it started at the Oleson Park Bandshell quite some time before he joined in 2001.

It’s a community effort.

“We get donations from the city, businesses and individuals,” he said. “The members mostly buy all the bikes.”

One of their other annual events, the Dave Gochee Texas Hold’em Poker Tournament, was in full swing Saturday. Jenkins took a seat at one of the tables with his best poker face.

It too, is for a good cause.

“What we make in profit we donate to Youth Shelter Care,” he said.

The Lodge is always ready to accept new members and yes, there is indeed a stuffed moose on the wall.