Local Elks come together for special needs child

Well, here’s a story that will restore your faith in humanity. The Keyport-Matawan Elks will be delivering a custom made bicycle to a Cliffwood Beach boy with cerebral palsy. Now, that might not seem particularly noteworthy, but it’s what the Elks have done to make it special that got my attention.

The boy, whose name is Jacob, won a contest (with the help of Elks throughout the country) to win the bike and the local Elks Lodge, led by the Vice President of the South Central Region of the State, Stephen Szczepaniak volunteered to assemble the bike at the Lodge. When the Elks found out the boy was upset because he been bullied at school, they decided to make the delivery of the bicycle a major affair. They got the cooperation of the local police and fire department, along with motorcyclists among the Elks as well as the members of the Lodge to make a spectacular procession to Jacob’s house to deliver his bike.

Maybe it’s because I have a son with special needs, but I think this gesture is awesome. Actually, it’s more than a gesture, it’s a commitment to creating one special day for a little boy that he will remember the rest of his life. The procession will be leaving the Keyport-Matawan Elks Lodge on Broadway in Keyport Saturday, April 20th around 3:15 pm.

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