TERRE HAUTE — A century of service will be celebrated Saturday as the Zorah Shrine marks its centennial birthday.
Since its original dispensation June 9, 1909, local Shriners have sponsored more than 3,500 children to their national network of hospitals and provided funding for more across the country, said 28-year member and recorder Dale Jeffery.
Shriners Hospitals for Children, the fraternity’s chief fundraising target, currently operates 22 hospitals throughout North America, 19 of which provide care for congenital and acquired orthopedic conditions, four provide acute and rehabilitative care for burn injuries, and three provide rehabilitative care for children with spinal cord injuries, and the cleft lip and palate program is expanding to multiple locations, according to information on the Shriners’ Web site.
Children up 18 years old with orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries and cleft lip and palate are eligible for admission and receive all care in a family-centered environment at no financial obligation to patients or families. Shriner fundraisers make this happen.
Last year, the Zorah Shrine raised $7,000 at one fish fry, the proceeds of which went to the hospitals, Jeffery said.
But the Shriners didn’t start out at their current home at 420 North 7th St., noted Potentate Fred Drake. The first Shrine Temple was an old church on Mulberry Street between Sixth and Seventh streets, purchased shortly after the group’s dispensation, he said.
The new building was constructed in 1927 for about $300,000, the funds for which were raised by several members taking out life insurance policies naming it as a beneficiary, he added.
That legacy of membership-driven gifts has continued to serve the Wabash Valley, and Jeffery noted that since the death of former member Hubert Morlan in 2008, about $800,000 from his estate has been given to the hospitals.
This year, the Shriners’ annual circus will be hosted Oct. 16, 17 and 18 locally, Jeffery said, adding that the group regularly participates in parades. “However many we get invited to,” he said. “I suspect we do 10 or 15 a year, at least.”
To join the Shrine, members must first pass through the Blue Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons. The 2009 Zorah Shrine roster has about 1,250 members, Jeffery said.
Drake noted that the Shrine, like most charitable organizations, has been hit by the recent market woes.
“They’re talking about decreasing the number of hospitals because of the downturn in the economy,” he said.
Saturday’s festivities will include a rededication of the Shrine Center by the Indiana Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons as well as a centennial ball.
Brian Boyce can be reached at 812-231-4253 or brian.boyce@tribstar.com.
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