Since 1986, the Elks National Veterans Service Commission has been partners with Re-Creation USA in providing entertainment to our nation's veterans housed in VA medical centers. Re-Creation is a group of young men and women between the ages of 18 and 30 who are all volunteers. They have given up a year or more of their lives to perform this act of love. They travel to all 50 states each year, going from VA medical center to VA medical center, warming the hearts and brightening the lives of hospitalized veterans. And they do so without pay.

As the group tours, local Elks Lodges provide the entertainers (approximately 12 of them) with lodging and a meal before they move on to their next destination.

How does it work? Re-Creation contacts the VAVS representative several weeks before its visit to his VA medical center and explains its needs. The representative will work directly with the group.

The VAVS representative then contacts the state NVSC chairman, Exalted Rulers and Lodge National Veterans Service Committee chairmen in the area of the VA medical center and asks them to help fulfill our commitment.

The Re-Creation group members are housed in hotels while on their VA Medical Center tours. They require four rooms, sleeping three to a room. In most instances, lodging in motels can be done for about $200-$250 a night.

Many Lodges choose to feed the group after the show. Again, this is up to the VAVS representative and the Lodges as to how they want to handle this.

Should the VAVS representative and the Lodges have trouble raising money to house these people, contact Director Robert Hennings at 773/755-4736 or vets@elks.org. He can help solve the problem.

If every Lodge does just a little, we can do a lot to help Re-Creation USA help us keep our pledge to hospitalized veterans.