Make an
impact today
Elks Spotlight – Fountain Hills Elks Youth Project Supports Reading Through the Grand Canyon Reader Program
A love of reading can open doors to imagination, curiosity, and lifelong learning. This year, that opportunity is reaching students at McDowell Mountain Elementary School thanks to a grant from the Fountain Hills Elks Youth Project. The grant supports the school’s participation in the Grand Canyon Reader Award program, providing students with access to engaging, high-quality books that inspire reading and meaningful discussion.
The grant application was submitted by Garnet Pennington, Library Aide, whose dedication to student literacy helped bring this program to life. Through this Youth Project grant, books were purchased specifically for the Grand Canyon Reader Award program, benefiting all 320 students at McDowell Mountain Elementary. While every student has access to the books through classroom readings and the school library, kindergarten through third-grade students participate in the official voting process, reading nominated titles and selecting their favorites at the conclusion of the program.
What makes this program especially impactful is the shared experience it creates across grade levels. Over an eight-week reading period, classes read the same Grand Canyon Reader Award book each week, sparking schoolwide conversations and building excitement. Students eagerly discuss stories and characters, look forward to library time, and anticipate casting their votes, an event they look forward to each year.
The impact of the program continues well beyond the reading schedule. The Grand Canyon Reader Award books remain among the most frequently checked-out titles in the library for months, encouraging independent reading and exploration. Teachers report that the program helps introduce students to new books and genres while strengthening literacy skills and classroom discussions.
“What better way to support the education of children than through reading?” said Debi Wells, a concession stand volunteer and Fountain Hills Elks member. “Books spark curiosity, build confidence, and open doors that last a lifetime.”
The Fountain Hills Elks Youth Project grant ensures the school has enough copies of the Grand Canyon Reader Award books to support group readings and individual checkout. By investing in literacy and student engagement, the Elks are helping create positive, lasting learning experiences for local students.
This grant reflects the Elks’ ongoing commitment to youth, education, and community enrichment. Through initiatives like the Grand Canyon Reader Award program, the Fountain Hills Elks Youth Project continues to live its mission, Elks Care • Elks Share.
Elks Spotlight: Stepping Up for Falcons Student-Athletes
On any given afternoon at the Fountain Hills baseball field, you’ll find more than practices and games underway, you’ll find leadership, mentorship, and a coach who believes that what happens off the field matters just as much as what happens on it.
That coach is Fountain Hills’ new Falcons Head Baseball Coach, Matt Ellett. He demonstrated that commitment by stepping up to support the new scoreboard project and applying for a grant through the Fountain Hills Elks Youth Project, an effort that reflects a shared investment in students, school pride, and the future of the program. In support of this effort, the Elks awarded a $2,500 grant toward the scoreboard installation, helping move the community-supported project forward.
Matt Ellett is the Head Baseball Coach for Fountain Hills Middle School and High School, bringing more than 17 years of coaching experience at both the club and high school levels. Since arriving in Fountain Hills, Coach Ellett has focused on building not only strong baseball programs, but strong young people, instilling discipline, accountability, teamwork, and respect in every athlete he coaches.
His background includes years of success as a head coach in Illinois, where his teams consistently reached postseason play and sent numerous players on to college baseball. That experience now directly benefits Fountain Hills students and families.
The new scoreboard project will directly benefit baseball student-athletes, along with countless spectators, families, and future players. Beyond displaying scores, the scoreboard will serve as a real-world learning tool, offering students opportunities to manage game operations, learn technical skills, and take on leadership roles during events.
The upgraded facility will enhance communication during games, improve visibility, and create a more inclusive and engaging game-day experience for both baseball and softball programs. Most importantly, it reinforces to students that their school and community are invested in their growth.
“What stood out most was Coach Ellett’s commitment to doing what was best for the students, not because it was required, but because he genuinely believes in giving them opportunities to grow and take pride in their program.”— Dan Troller, Concession Stand Volunteer and Elks Member
Coach Ellett’s dedication exemplifies the spirit of the Elks, serving youth, strengthening communities, and going the extra mile to make a lasting difference. We are proud to support this project and grateful for his continued commitment to Fountain Hills students.
Elks Spotlight: A New Softball Scoreboard for Fountain Hills Schools
Some upgrades change a game. Others change a program. And then there are improvements, like a brand-new softball scoreboard, that elevate the experience for the players who step onto the field each season. As the Fountain Hills schools work toward raising the full cost of the project, the Fountain Hills Elks Youth Project is proud to support the effort with a $2,500 grant, helping bring a modern, functional scoreboard within reach for current and future athletes.
For Head Softball Coach Marissa Flores, the project began with a simple challenge: the existing scoreboard was broken beyond repair and had been for some time. Without it, athletes, coaches, and families were missing a key part of the softball experience, a way to track innings, celebrate momentum, and learn the rhythms and strategy of the sport. A functioning scoreboard isn’t just a piece of equipment; it’s an essential learning tool. It helps young players stay engaged, understand game flow, and develop focus and real-time decision-making.
But as Coach Flores and Athletic Director Dr. Evelyn Wynn quickly realized, replacing the scoreboard would require determination, fundraising, and broad community support. The project’s reach extends far beyond the school’s competitive teams. The field is home to youth sports camps, after-school programs, and clinics, all of whom will benefit from the new scoreboard.
A scoreboard does more than display numbers. It creates atmosphere. It signals that players’ hard work is seen and valued. It teaches responsibility: someone must run it accurately. It teaches focus: athletes learn to adjust their play based on inning, outs, and score. And it teaches teamwork: a scoreboard brings everyone, players, coaches, families, and fans, into the same moment of the game.
This project captured the attention of many, including concession stand volunteer Barb Gierer, who shared why she was immediately drawn to it: “Because it’s ambitious, will impact a lot of kids for years to come, raise the profile of the town school system, and in order to raise enough money they have to be tenacious.”
Current fundraising totals show exactly that tenacity. The project cost is $25,000 and while the schools have already raised over $10,000 the Elks Youth Project grant will help propel the effort forward.
The goal is to have the new scoreboard installed by the 2026 season, with a community ribbon-cutting event planned to celebrate the achievement and recognize the partners who made it possible. One of the easiest ways for an individual or family to assist with funding the new scoreboard is through an Arizona Tax Credit Donation. This program allows you to contribute up to $400 per family each year, and you receive every dollar back as a credit when you file your state taxes. Simply click HERE to make your tax credit donation that will go directly towards this project.
On December 17, 2025, a group of Elks gathered to present the $2,500 grant to the Fountain Hills girls’ softball team. Mayor and Elks member Gerry Friedel attended the ceremony in support of the project and made a personal donation of $500, encouraging others in the community to do the same.
The Fountain Hills Elks are proud to help make this lasting investment in our schools, our students, and the future of softball in our town.
Elks Spotlight: Fountain Hills High School Track & Field Record Board
When you walk through a school hallway, you expect to see the usual class photos, posters, maybe trophies behind a glass case. What you don’t always see is something that instantly stops students, alumni, and families in their tracks: a place where history, pride, and possibility all live side-by-side. Thanks to a grant from the Fountain Hills Elks Youth Project, Fountain Hills High School will soon have a new Track & Field Record Board that honors decades of Falcon achievement and inspires the next generation to chase big goals.
For Coach Andrea Hall, Head Coach for Cross Country and Track & Field, restoring the school’s aging and weather-damaged board was more than a facilities upgrade, it was a way to reconnect students with their athletic heritage and re-ignite inspiration. After the original board partially fell apart due to age and weather, Coach Hall immediately recognized what was at stake. “I have a young group of athletes trying to read the board and see what records they want to break,” she shared. “How exciting!”
Record boards do more than display times and names, they teach students to dream bigger.
A visible, well-designed record board:
Preserves school history, honoring past athletes whose hard work helped shape the Track & Field program.
Motivates current athletes, who stand in front of the board imagining their name on it next.
Shows students of all abilities there is a place for them, sparking curiosity about events they may not yet know they can excel in.
Strengthens school pride and community identity, becoming a point of celebration for families, alumni, and visitors at school events.
Promotes goal setting, giving students real, tangible marks to chase, often the first step in seeing themselves as capable, dedicated competitors.
As Coach Hall describes, Track & Field is both an individual and team journey, rooted in accountability, communication, and sportsmanship, values directly aligned with the Fountain Hills Elks Youth Project mission.
More than 1,000 students, families, and visitors walk past this area during athletic events and school activities. The new board will become a proud landmark, one that prompts conversations, sparks ambition and honors a long legacy of Falcon athletes.
A quality record board doesn’t just track numbers; it raises the standard for everyone who walks by it. As longtime concession stand volunteer Dan Helpman shared, “A quality record board can be an incentive to students, as well as a way to impress opposing teams.” His sentiment reflects what many in the community feel, the board is a symbol of pride, discipline, and the competitive spirit that defines Falcon athletics.
Coach Hall also plans to host an unveiling event, inviting alumni and community members to celebrate their accomplishments and reconnect with the program that helped shape them
The Fountain Hills Elks Youth Project is proud to support this meaningful initiative through a grant that will bring a modern, visible, inspiring Track & Field Record Board to FHHS. By preserving the past and motivating the future, this project reflects the very heart of our mission building strong, confident youth who believe in their potential.
Congratulations to Coach Andrea Hall and the entire FHHS Track & Field community. We look forward to celebrating many new records in the years ahead.
Fountain Hills Elks Youth Project Spotlight: Girl Scouts of Fountain Hills – Parade Float Contest Winner
The Fountain Hills Elks Youth Project was proud to sponsor a float-design contest for Girl Scouts of Fountain Hills in the Thanksgiving Day Parade. The goal of the contest was to encourage creativity, teamwork, and community pride among local youth and this year’s entries exceeded every expectation.
We are excited to announce that Girl Scout Troop 3403 won the contest with their imaginative and heartfelt float titled “Greatest Show of Gratitude”. Blending the colorful energy of The Greatest Showman with the values of gratitude and service, Troop 3403 created a joyful and meaningful float that celebrated the Girl Scouts’ presence in the Fountain Hills community.
Working with the Girl Scouts of Fountain Hills has been an exceptional experience. The leadership within the program is truly outstanding, thoughtful, organized, and deeply committed to helping young girls grow into confident leaders. What stands out most is their intentional approach to programming: they design activities and community projects that not only create meaningful experiences in the moment but also can be built upon year after year. This long-term vision strengthens the impact on the girls and enriches the entire Fountain Hills community.
Following the parade, the Elks received a heartfelt message from Erika Percic, Fountain Hills Girl Scout Troop 3403 Neighborhood Manager, expressing what the sponsorship meant to the troop:
“On behalf of the Fountain Hills Girl Scouts I wanted to extend a HUGE thank you for your financial support for the float this year. I absolutely love how the girls and leaders come together and bring their creativity to the community. With the Elks support the float was bigger and more beautiful than ever!! Please know that because of your support, the girls will have had memories that last a lifetime.”
Her words reflect exactly why the Fountain Hills Elks Youth Project continues to invest in youth programs: to empower young people to create, collaborate, and build lifelong memories through positive community experiences.
We extend our warmest congratulations to Troop 3403 and appreciation to all Girl Scouts, leaders, parents, and volunteers who helped bring the “Greatest Show of Gratitude” float to life.
The Fountain Hills Elks Youth Project is honored to support programs that nurture leadership, creativity, gratitude, and community connection among Fountain Hills youth. We look forward to continuing this partnership and witnessing many more incredible achievements from our local Girl Scouts.
Fountain Hills Elks Youth Project Grant Spotlight: FHHS Golf Team Uniform & Leadership Initiative
This project captures what the Fountain Hills Elks Youth Project is all about, supporting young people in ways that build confidence, character, and community. This year, the Fountain Hills High School Golf Team has presented such a project: a uniform and leadership initiative designed to bring professionalism, unity, and pride to a growing group of student-athletes.
Led by teacher, history department head, and golf coach Austin Keating, the FHHS Golf Team applied for funding to provide matching, professional-quality golf polos for all team members. Coach Keating’s proposal uses appearance as a tool for leadership development, teaching students that how they present themselves reflects how they represent their school and community. This project establishes a standard of professionalism for every tournament, practice, and community appearance. It is a tradition-building effort: one that conveys “We are a team, and we represent something bigger than ourselves.”
Why Uniformity Matters: The Impact on Students
Matching uniforms may seem small thing, but their impact is significant:
• Team Identity & Cohesion: Wearing the same professional polo helps unify students from different grade levels and backgrounds, strengthening collaboration and camaraderie.
• Leadership & Responsibility: With a uniform comes accountability. Players learn that they represent FHHS and the Elks with every match they play.
• Visibility & Community Connection: The Elks name on the sleeve ensures the team proudly displays the support of the Fountain Hills Elks at every tournament, an ongoing reminder that their community stands behind them.
Coach Keating shared that seeing the students step onto the first tee box in unified attire is the moment he looks forward to most, a visual display of their confidence and the community’s belief in them.
Elks Member and concession volunteer Stacy Braun offered insight into why supporting this project matters:
“I believe uniforms and uniformity in athletics is important to team bonding and cohesion. I am aware that most high school athletic programs are now responsible for their own uniforms and equipment. Youth athletics are important! It helps mold our future.”
The FHHS Golf Team Uniform & Leadership Initiative is more than a request for shirts, it is an investment in leadership, pride, and the future of Fountain Hills youth. With this grant, the Fountain Hills Elks help ensure that our young athletes walk onto the course not only looking like a team but feeling like one.
Elks Spotlight – Game Ready: Safe & Equitable Equipment for Fountain Hills Softball - Michaela Quintana and Marissa Flores
Strong teams are built not just on talent, but on the tools that keep players safe and united. For the Fountain Hills High School and Middle School softball programs, one reality stood out: passion was abundant, but proper safety equipment was not. Thanks to the dedication of Coaches Michaela Quintana and Marissa Flores, and their initiative to apply for funding, that need is now being met through a Fountain Hills Elks Youth Project grant.
Assistant Coach Michaela Quintana, alongside Head Coach Marissa Flores, has been leading the charge to ensure every softball player, whether in middle school or high school, steps onto the field with the equipment they need. Both coaches know firsthand how vital athletics can be in shaping the future of young people. For their players, softball isn’t just a game; it’s a chance to grow in confidence, teamwork, and resilience.
Coach Quintana explained it best:
“Beyond athletic performance, the project encourages athletes to see themselves as part of something bigger, using teamwork and competition as a foundation for creative growth, resilience, and personal expression.”
The ripple effect of this project will be immediate and long-lasting. With 30–40 players benefiting directly, athletes will be safer, more confident, and better unified as a team. Beyond the field, the impact is just as powerful, students gain leadership skills, academic discipline, and social connections that strengthen the community as a whole. By eliminating financial barriers, the program ensures that every player has access to essential safety equipment.
Elks member and concession stand volunteer Sue Modrak summed up the community’s support:
“What impressed me most was how clearly this grant application defined its goals. I wholeheartedly support this project.”
From dedicated athletes showing up eager to play despite limited resources, to stepping onto the field fully equipped, the journey of Fountain Hills softball reflects the power of community support. To honor their efforts, the Fountain Hills Elks Youth Project is awarding a grant to fund essential equipment for both the middle and high school teams.
Congratulations to Coaches Michaela Quintana and Marissa Flores and to every athlete who will now take the field with confidence. Here’s to a season where preparation, pride, and possibility shine as brightly as the Arizona sun.
Elks Spotlight – George Zeliff
Sometimes the best ideas begin with a single click. For George Zeliff, a Digital Communications teacher at Fountain Hills High School, one simple idea—giving students more time behind the camera, has blossomed into an opportunity that could change the course of their high school experience.
In his classroom, George teaches basic photography, graphic design, and yearbook production. But he noticed a gap: students eager to pursue photography in depth didn’t have the space or resources to fully develop their skills. Rather than let that enthusiasm fade, George launched the FHHS SkillsUSA Club, providing students with a place to grow creatively, collaborate, and prepare for state-level competitions.
Thanks to George’s initiative, at least 20 students this year, and likely more as the club grows, will gain access to cameras, competitions, and real-world creative opportunities. Club members will showcase their talents in SkillsUSA competitions, contribute to yearbook and community events, and step into leadership roles earlier in their high school journey. In short, George’s project empowers students to see the world differently, through a lens of creativity, confidence, and possibility.
"Programs like this do more than teach; they prepare students with practical, creative skills that will serve them well beyond high school." Vinny Gargiulo Elks member and concession stand volunteer.
From his first year as a teacher to leading a brand-new program, George Zeliff has proven that passion and perseverance can inspire an entire generation of students. The Fountain Hills Elks are proud to award a grant to the Fountain Hills Unified School District on behalf of the SkillsUSA Club.
George would like to give a special shout-out to Alison Mecom, Career Tech Education (CTE) Director, for her invaluable support. She not only helped him structure the new program but also mentored him throughout the process, ensuring its success from the start.
Congratulations to George and the students of FHHS, the future looks brighter through your lens of creativity and leadership!
Elks Spotlight - Peter McGloin
Who says comebacks are just for athletes? 🏐 Peter “Coach Pete” McGloin returned to lead beach volleyball and secured a grant for new equipment. That’s what we call a winning play!
Coach Pete is not only a school psychologist at Fountain Hills Middle School and High School but also a former volleyball and beach volleyball coach. After a few years away, he returned to coach beach volleyball because he saw the need, and the opportunity, to create positive experiences for students once again. His contributions matter because school sports don’t just fill schedules; they teach teamwork, leadership, resilience, and confidence, shaping students far beyond the court.
Most people would have stopped at simply volunteering to coach. But Coach Pete went further by starting a new middle school program. “I was inspired to come back to coaching to help provide more good experiences for the kids, and help create memories for a lifetime,” Coach Pete stated in the grant application, “I am hoping that starting a middle school club will allow for even more kids to have fun experiences playing beach volleyball, and have lots of opportunities to develop socially, physically, and mentally while learning life lessons to help them for many years to come.”
Thanks to his effort, 40–50 students at both the middle school and high school will directly benefit from safe, reliable, and professional equipment. The impact extends further: the equipment will also support staff volleyball tournaments, and community events like the “Return to Recess” program. Families and community members alike will see the ripple effect of this grant in renewed energy, participation, and pride.
Elks member and Golden Eagle concession stand volunteer Janet Pageau put it simply: “I think it’s very important for kids to be involved in a sport. It teaches them how to get along by being part of a team.”
By securing this grant from the Fountain Hills Elks Youth Project, Coach Pete has provided equipment that will serve students and the community for years. The Fountain Hills Elks proudly recognize his leadership, commitment, and vision. a reminder that when someone goes above and beyond, the rewards extend far beyond the game.