Christmas, compliments of Minden-Douglas Elks

On Saturday, the day before Christmas Eve, 10 residents of Carson Valley were delivered holiday packages, compliments of the Minden-Douglas Elks Lodge No. 2670.

Early in the morning, as in other years, 12 members and their wives got together to put together baskets, consisting of items like vitamins, toiletries and food, adding up to about $200 each.

"A lot of these people just don't have the money to buy that type of stuff, so we do that," said Elks member and Christmas basket program chairman Bob Allgeier. "We've been doing Christmas baskets for lo these many years. It's just - it makes you feel what Christmas is all about."

The program is a cooperative effort between the Elks Lodge and Douglas County Senior Services.

"We work very closely with the senior center," said Allgeier. "(The recipients) are mostly people in the Meals on Wheels program. I call each one individually. So we select 10 recipients, that could be a husband and wife."

Each year Allgeier and another Elks member do the shopping. They have particular people in mind for each basket, such as a man who has been on the Christmas list for four years. He said most of them are disabled, yet their homes are almost always immaculate. This year, he was going to hand out a surprise with the baskets.

"We have generous lodge members who donate cash," said Allgeier. "This year, in the envelope that goes along with (the baskets) will be $50 cash, no strings attached."

Most of the funding for the basket program comes from money earned at the Elks annual spaghetti feed/bingo night.