CANYON CITY — The John Day Elks Lodge hosted its annual local Hoop Shoot for kids at the Humbolt Elementary School gym in Canyon City on Saturday, Dec. 9.
The John Day Elks Lodge was positively glowing Friday night. The building, brightly decorated with strings of colored lights, glittering Christmas trees and silvery balloon sculptures, was filled with smiling people and happy conversation.
The occasion was the 31st annual Carrie Young Memorial Dinner and Auction, and, as it always does, the event brought Grant County residents out in droves. Some came to enjoy the spaghetti feed and the company, to see and be seen at what has become a major social event. Some came to bid on the lovingly prepared and gorgeously designed gift baskets, hoping to snag some Christmas presents or score a coveted item for themselves. Some hoped to walk away with a Kim Randleas fine art print, a Silvies Valley Resort getaway or one of the other fabulous auction items.
But all were there to support the cause. For more than three decades now, the Carrie Young Memorial has raised money to help Grant County s most vulnerable seniors, carrying on the legacy Carri
Much has been written in recent years about the decline of communal life in this country. As a nation, we are less likely than ever before to go to church, to join civic organizations such as the Elks or engage with others outside of work or family. The pandemic made a bad situation even worse.
In today s high-tech world, it s incredibly easy to communicate with people through video chats, social media and so forth. But those kinds of virtual interactions can never take the place of face-to-face conversations, the kind that come with a hug or a handshake or a friendly smile. We all need real human contact in our lives, especially our neighbors who find themselves living alone.
Dr. Vivek Murthy, America’s surgeon-general, has written about the “epidemic of loneliness” gripping this country and the need to combat it.
“We are hardwired to live in community,” he wrote earlier this year in a column for U Magazine, a publication of UCLA Health. “Connect
JOHN DAY — One of Grant County’s biggest fundraisers — and social events — of the year is coming up.The 2023 Carrie Young Memorial Dinner and Auction will be held