Elks Club approved to move forward with remodel project

The Falls City Elks Lodge #963 just received word last week that a planned remodeling project has been approved by the Grand Lodge in Chicago. Construction begins in mid-October.
    According to Rob Gerweck, Chairman of Trustees, the fundraising group has raised a substantial portion of the total funds needed and knows they can raise the rest because of the support that the remodel project has received.
    “A lot of people have shown great faith in this project by investing their own money,” Gerweck said. “They remember the glory days of the Elks Lodge when the place was packed for lunch and dinner and held special events upstairs nearly every weekend. We believe that the Elks Lodge has a place in the future of Falls City as well,” he said. “We are excited that the Grand Lodge has given its approval so that we can move forward with construction. We hope that those who have not donated will see the progress and be encouraged to do so.”
    The fundraising drive began in February. Committee members Renee Kopf, Cathy Scholl, Ben Hullman, Dan Simon and Jerry Joy worked tirelessly alongside Gerweck, manning telephones, making cold calls, and visiting former and current members.
    “I can’t say enough about their efforts,” Gerweck said. “No one can do this type of project alone. It has taken a team of hard working individuals to move this transformation forward.”
    The blueprints for the remodeling project were submitted by Ayars & Ayars, Inc. and Arch+tects Etc. of Lincoln. Proudly, many local contractors will be used for this project. The project will completely remodel the first floor interior.  The current dining room will become the lounge. The current lounge and back room area will become an open banquet facility that can be partitioned off to accommodate smaller meetings.
    “We are very interested in booking many events such as weddings, reunions, meetings, and other special occasions,” Gerweck said. “Our new, proposed facility will be able to accommodate up to 300 people. Our current facility is adequate, but is not user friendly for many patrons. Our stairs prohibit a lot of people from attending events. We hope to rectify that situation by moving the banquet facility downstairs.”
    An architect’s rendering of the proposed plan is hanging on a wall in the Elks Lodge. Anyone who is interested in visualizing the future of the Elks Lodge is encouraged to stop by and take a look.
    The fundraising committee would also like to thank the volunteers who helped make the telethon calls and all of the donors who have helped to make this vision a reality.  The committee looks forward to speaking with anyone who would still like to contribute to the project.