WEST PITTSTON — Carole Richards smiled as she stood outside the bounce house at the second annual end-of-summer block party hosted by Moose Lodge 1207 on Saturday.
“Our food is over there, but I can’t get him to come out of this ride. He loves it,” the West Pittston resident said of her son.
Attendees of the event said they enjoyed coming out and spending time with their neighbors, especially because it was to raise money for a cause. The event continues Sunday from noon to 10 p.m.
Douglas Warabak, District 2 president for the Moose, took time to show attendees a display labeled “a year in pictures,” demonstrating the work that the Moose Lodge does through its members.
Monies raised by the lodge throughout the year go to benefit such programs as Mooseheart, a residential childcare facility, and Moosehaven, a continuing care retirement community for its elderly members.
Warabak pointed to a photo of young people gathered at a park.
“Children from Mooseheart visited us,” he said.
He also showed a photo of a Moose member showing off stuffed animals to be given to children in stressful situations.
“It seems like a little thing,” he said. “But it could make a big difference to a child.”
The group also recently gave away bicycles to children in need.
The lodge also has its heart and its energies deeply rooted in the Greater Pittston area, offering scholarships to area high school students, providing facilities for sporting teams to gather and responding to general needs of the community.
“This is what we’re all about. This is why we do what we do,” Warabak said.
Ann Marie Skilonger was simply enjoying a slice of pizza and a glass of beer to beat the summer heat.
It was Skilonger’s second year at the event.
“I love it. I know I’ll come back again,” she said.
Moose member Fran Brozena, of Mountain Top and a member of a band that played at the event, said he enjoyed playing for his fellow Moose members and the community.
Nick Mozal, a Moose administrator and a member for about 20 years, said the two-day event is generally well attended.
Mozal said about 360 members share a vision of assisting the community while enjoying the friendship of fellow Moose.
Barbara Sherinsky, a member of Women of the Moose, was at the event, selling tickets for gift baskets that ranged from adult beverages to children activities.
“This year we are going to use money raised to buy clothes for veterans,” she said.
Sherinsky said on Sunday parents will have an opportunity to obtain identification packets for their children.
“We have food. We have rides. We have music. We have games,” she said. “It’s just a fun day.”
