Owego Elks Emporium Mkt.

     Barb and Emil would like to thank everyone for the wonderful help we got to get the Emporium open again. If it was not for the donations to get us started, down to the personnel doing all the physical work, this huge task would have been impossible to accomplish.  Just think of it, 56 days after the flood hit, we were able to open the Emporium.  We are sold out for the next market day, and when we opened at 8am on November 6^th,with a quiet opening, there were 24 customers waiting to get on the floor to shop.  A special thank you to Chris Carrican, who without even being an elk was there for 41 days of the 55.  Bob Drea , Jim Benardes, Harry Rogers, Vern Singleton, and the two most religious men I know, Bob Banker, and Dave Geller, who spent hours and hours on their knees installing floor tile , sub floor, sheet rock.  Bob Banker’s son in law who did all the plumbing behind the concession stand, Pam and Debbie and their husbands, who built the counters etc.  Mark Vandemark for donating  the hardware for the handicap bathroom.

We know we probably have missed someone, but one thing is for sure, The Elks Lodge #1039 faced a major disaster head on, things got done as a team, meetings  to decide what we could do, and how, and most of all, a lot of our own members have suffered greatly with great looses, and could not help due to family needs, and yet they found time to at least call, wish us words of encouragement etc.

Even while the Emporium was being worked on, Debbie Vandemark, Bernie Banker, Barbara Intrieri, worked to clean the kitchen upstairs to get a jump on getting that open next.

Even at the first, dealers and elks came together to just show up with food, gloves, masks, to keep us going.  Thank you Rick  Kuklish, and Pat Blazedale for the food and drink during the worst and messiest days of the ordeal.

Let us not forget as long as you’re helping someone you are still being an elk. The rules of the Elks do not say you only help Elks, help your neighbor, if you can. There is so so much damage still out there.

Thank you again for all the help , support, input, advise, money, This is what Elkdom is all about, we need to continue to keep the good work going, and Barb and I will be there to assist.

Remember other lodges are hurting also, we need to support  them as we need their support.  Labor exchange can be very useful as they may have someone who can help us and swap hours to help them back. One other thing, we would like to thank Susquehanna Printers, Betsy and Jim from the Moose, for helping us to find a place for our auctioneers so they could still have an auction.  See working across lines can help also.

The Emporium is now open every first and third Sunday, Stop by and see what all the above personnel have done. We are proud of everyone at how it came out.Thank you all.  Barb and Emil Kotasek