(Enlarge) Members of Elks Lodge 469 work in the lodge kitchen to serve the pre-Thanksgiving meal to visitors from veterans' hospitals. From left are Dick McAllister of Cockeysville, Tom Loughran, of Towson, Joe Lancaster, of Timonium and Chas Kalv, of Towson. (Photo by Jay R. Thompson)

Thanksgiving and Veterans Day are just two weeks apart, but members of Towson Elks Lodge 469 last week helped bridge those two dates with an event designed to serve military veterans with physical or mental wounds.

A few dozen residents from two of Maryland's Veterans Affairs hospitals visited the lodge on Pennsylvania Avenue on Nov. 19 for an early Thanksgiving dinner, apple pie and all.

"With Veterans Day being over, we're not forgetting them," said James Bullington, chaplain of the Towson lodge.

Elks said the purpose of the annual dinner is to give veterans a change of scenery, a little attention ... and good company.

On the menu were turkey, ham, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans and even sauerkraut. After dinner, the veterans played bingo. The visitors also received small gifts from the Elks.

"All in all, it's just a fun night. They really enjoy it," Bullington said.

The veterans came from the Baltimore VA Medical Center, on Green Street, and the Baltimore VA Rehabilitation and Extended Care Center on Loch Raven Boulevard.

Woodlawn resident Sondra Otukoya, a recreation therapist at the Loch Raven center, accompanied residents to the lodge and said the veterans look forward to the event.

"The reason they like to come to the Towson Elks ... is they give the big bucks," she said, joking about the bingo.

Indeed, veterans sometimes take home $5 in winnings, she said.

More seriously, though, Otukoya said the food at the Towson Elks, and the friendship, are both high quality.

"It's a lovely thing," she said.

Not all the residents at the VA hospital can come, Otukoya said. Some have communicable diseases, while others have behavioral issues, she said.

Veterans who did make the visit this year had food prepared and delivered by some of Baltimore County's movers and shakers. Among the servers was Del. J. B. Jennings of Maryland's 7th district.

Jennings, who joined the Air National Guard in 2008, is in training but expects to be deployed when training is complete, he said.

"Now that I'm in the military, I see what (veterans have) gone through, and it makes me respect them even more," Jennings said.

Rani Merryman, a Perry Hall resident, has been a stay-at-home mom, but is running for the House of Delegates in the 8th district. Her experience as a waitress came through in the dining room.

"Right behind you," Merryman called out as she slipped between people to deliver two plates of Thanksgiving fare.

In the crowded kitchen, half a dozen Elks members ribbed one another and worked fast to keep the plates filled. No gravy? Extra stuffing? No problem.

Dick McAllister, a Cockeysville resident and a member of the Elks, is a master in chancery for Baltimore County Circuit Court, but in the lodge kitchen he scooped sauerkraut and stuffing onto plates at the end of an assembly line.

"We give them a good dinner, show them a bit of a good time ... a bit of a homey atmosphere," McAllister said.

Chas Kalv, another Elk and a Towson resident, was at the start of the line.

"A lot of these guys don't have anybody," Kalv said of the veterans. "We give them a lot of camaraderie."

In fact, it seemed there were more than enough Elks, along with wives, girlfriends and friends, than were needed to cook and serve the food.

"When you say 'veterans,' the Towson Elks come out of the woodwork," Delp said. "We just love the veterans."

John Sypniewski, 52, originally a Parkville resident, now lives at the VA hospital on Loch Raven Boulevard while he recovers from a recent surgery. He said he served in the U.S. Navy from 1977 to 1982.

Sitting in a wheelchair in the dining room, Sypniewski talked excitedly about his Navy career -- searching for submarines using sonar buoys and signal flairs -- but he also talked about the dinner.

"The food was delicious. It was just like a home-cooked meal -- flawless," he said.

The Elks is a national organization with two primary concerns -- youth activity and veterans.

The Towson Elks don't limit their attention to veterans to once a year, however. Members visit Perry Point VA Hospital, near Havre De Grace, a few times a year, as well as the two VA hospitals in Baltimore, to bring social activities to veterans.

His fellow Elks credit Jarrettsville resident Ron Blachowics, the lodge chairman of veteran affairs, with much of the work for the veteran-related events.

Blachowics said his inspiration for serving veterans comes from his first visit to a VA hospital a few years ago. It was around Christmas and he handed a gift bag to a resident at the hospital. The veteran dipped into the bag and the first thing he found was a Christmas card.

"The expression on his face when he got that Christmas card ... they appreciate every little thing you do for them," Blachowics said.

"All of them deserve it," he said.

Blachowics said that one of the Elks' mottos explains their philosophy best:

"As long as there are veterans, they will never be forgotten," he said.

user comments (0)