Elks Lodge Roast of Wayne Crawford Raises $65,000 for Patient Care at Samuel Dixon Family Health Centers, Inc.

Santa Clarita, Calif., January 29, 2008 – The roast on Saturday, January 26 of “concrete cowboy” Wayne Crawford at the Santa Clarita Elks Lodge in Canyon Country netted $65,000, which will go to Samuel Dixon Family Health Centers, Inc. (SDFHC) to provide health care services to the residents of the Santa Clarita Valley.

“We are extremely grateful to Wayne Crawford and the entire Elks Roast Committee for their support in making this year's event such a success,” said Cheryl Laymon, executive director of SDFHC. “Thanks to this event, we now have $65,000 worth of patient care we can provide this year.”

SDFHC thanks the following supporters of this event: Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital, Lexus, Spirit Properties, County of Los Angeles, City of Santa Clarita, Hacker Braly, LLP, Child & Family Center, Providence Holy Cross Medical Center and California United Bank.

Mike Fisher said he was “personally grateful” to be able to serve as chair of the committee to do something to help SDFHC. “I am grateful that the Elks were able to help such a worthwhile organization and through that, to serve the community. This is part of the mission of the Elks, to serve the community, and this is the best way to do it.”

SDFHC operates three health centers in the Santa Clarita Valley—Canyon Country Health Center, Val Verde Health Center and Newhall Health Center—as well as outreach sites at College of the Canyons and California Institute of the Arts. SDFHC offers a full range of health care services—physicals, immunizations and vaccines, screenings and diagnostic tests, well baby care, and family planning—to those who may not seek health care elsewhere. Patients pay based on their income. This past year, SDFHC provided service for 8,000 patient visits.

The Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks, Santa Clarita, Lodge No. 2379, is located at 17766 Sierra Highway in Canyon Country. The Elks Foundation gives millions of dollars to disabled children in California; supports hospitalized veterans with clothing and other necessities; and hosts a variety of holiday parties throughout the year, as well as donating food baskets to local needy families. This is the tenth year the Elks have chosen SDFHC as their beneficiary for the roast.

SDFHC was established in 1980 and named for long-time Val Verde resident and minister, the late Reverend Samuel Dixon. A not-for-profit community health center, SDFHC serves the greater Santa Clarita Valley, and is governed by a twenty-member board of directors, all of whom are Santa Clarita residents. The mission of SDFHC is to enhance wellness by providing quality primary health care services and health education to unserved and underserved residents, with a special emphasis on serving the uninsured. Easily accessible services are available for the entire family in both English and Spanish. Medi-Cal, Blue Cross and Healthy Families are all accepted, and a sliding fee scale is offered, keeping health care affordable for all. Services are available at the Val Verde Health Center (661-257-4008), the Canyon Country Health Center (661-424-1220) and the Newhall Health Center (661-291-1777).

SDFHC receives United Way funding and is supported by countless individuals as well as corporate sponsors who help make affordable health care possible. Tax-deductible contributions are welcome.