Weiser Elks awards Red Paws $1,500

Weiser’s Red Paws Soccer Club got a funding boost Friday from Weiser Elks who awarded the nonprofit $1,500.

A check presentation was held at the Elks lodge in downtown Weiser Friday, July 26, with Elks state representatives, Red Paws founder Trine Loenberg, club athletes and others gathering to celebrate the occasion.

 Among other things, the money will help the club provide financial assistance to those who struggle to pay the initial $100 fee, which covers two jerseys, shorts, socks and a backpack, and another $100 fee to cover U.S. Youth Soccer registration, league fees and referees.

 “We are very excited to get this money and we thank the Elks for their donation,” said Loenberg who serves as the Weiser High School girls’ head soccer coach. “Since this is a nonprofit, we don’t want this to cost anything for the kids. You go to Boise, it’s going to cost $5,000 and who can afford that? It’s ridiculous. And then you are making the sport just for rich kids.”

 The club held its first tryouts in early January, Loenberg noting that the event drew around 150 kids between the ages of 6 and 18.

 “We only have tryouts to see how many kids we have and then we divide them into teams after that,” Loenberg added. “Everybody makes it, there are no exclusions. I’ve been wanting to do this for five years now and finally I found Dylan Brown to help me with paperwork for a nonprofit. When we got all that done, we started.”

 Participation in club soccer allows athletes to build on their skills in the offseason. Most high school athletes, Loenberg said, play club sports making school-sanctioned sports teams increasingly competitive. Red Paws is currently preparing for another season, with tryouts scheduled for Aug. 3 at the Park Street Sports Complex in Weiser.

 Every year, Idaho Elks lodges can apply for an Idaho Elks Tracks Community Grant in the amount of $1,500. Each lodge can choose where the money goes, according to Idaho State President Chuck Roberts.

 “It just can’t be spent on their lodge,” he said. “It has to be used in the community for different projects and there is a wide range of projects you can use the money for. Most people don’t realize this, but the Elks, on a national level, actually awards more scholarship money than anybody in the nation except the federal government.”

 Every year, Elks National Foundation gives out $3.65 million in college scholarships for high school seniors. Visit the Weiser Elks Lodge Facebook page for more information. Likewise, you can get more information on Red Paws Soccer Club by visiting the organization’s Facebook page.