For more than 20 year the local chapter of the Moose fraternal organization has supported Valley communities by fundraising and hosting events for services and charities. The group is determined to keep supporting those in need.
The Snoqualmie Valley Moose Lodge 1666, located in North Bend, is home to the local branch of the international community service organization.
The Loyal Order of Moose was created in 1888 as a social club for men, but grew to be a group that provided community services and eventually created Women of the Moose in 1913.
The organization has spread across all 50 states, the United Kingdom and Canada. In the ’80s, the Moose found their way to North Bend. The Valley chapter has three subgroups, Men of the Moose, Women of the Moose and Moose Riders, the official motorcycle group of the organization.
At a recent meeting of representatives from all three groups, Shelley Gaviglio, the junior graduate regent of WOTM, said they work with groups like Hopelink and Encompass, attend events like the Festival at Mount Si and support the Boy and Girl Scouts.
Brian Nilsson, president of the Moose Riders and junior governor of the MOTM, said that the motorcycling group, started in September 2015, brings together the organization’s men and women for fundraising events.
“We’ve been doing a lot of community service type fundraising through our chili cook-off in January and we made brunch at the Ronald McDonald house in Seattle. We are doing that about once a quarter,” Nilsson said.
In addition to the joint fundraisers, the Moose contribute to Valley events all year. Del “Newt” Newton, governor of the MOTM, said the group does a variety of events.
“For a lot of local stuff we’ve done a lot of senior assistance, community Easter egg hunt, golf tournaments, scholarships for the high school,” Newton said. “We just did Relay for Life, the Festival at Mount Si we do that, North Bend Jazz Walk, Bikers Against Child Abuse ride, we help with the food bank, we have a clothing drop at the lodge, we also do some Salvation Army help and blood donations.”
Newton said that many of the members learn about the lodge as a place to socialize, but soon find out about the community service aspect and have remained as part of the group in order to give back to their communities. Chris Newton, senior regent of the WOTM, said that she, along with her husband Del, went through that exact process when they joined.
“We joined in ’94 when we were looking for a place to socialize and that’s what a lot of people think this lodge is about,” Newton said. “They have cheap drinks and it’s a fun place to come and do that, but it’s so much more than that.”
The group’s purpose includes supporting their own charity groups, Mooseheart and Moosehaven, as well. Mooseheart is a 1,000-acre city and school west of Chicago for children in need. Moosehaven is a 72-acre senior campus in Florida.
Each state’s Moose Lodges sponsor a house of students at Mooseheart and help with financial support and school supplies.
Stephanie Nilsson, recorder for WOTM, explained that Mooseheart essentially raises children.
“Mooseheart is our child city that takes in kids who don’t have either parent or anybody to help take care of them,” she said. “They raise kids from infancy all the way up to teenage and … they really provide them a better opportunity in life.”
The Snoqualmie Valley Moose Lodge is currently anticipating the arrival of 10 Washington State Moose-sponsored students from Mooseheart for a dinner on Friday, July 22. In addition to the arrival of the students, the group will be preparing for their appearance in the Festival at Mount Si parade.
With all that going on, the group is still looking for more community events to be a part of and new members to join in and help.
“If there is anything else we could do to help the community, we are looking for what people need,” Brian Nilsson said. “That way we can better support it. That’s why we are here.”
