“We raise money and we give it away”, Eagles Club schedules fall fundraisers
Don Harrold, Executive Editor
editor@enterprisepub.com
The Eagles Club in Missouri Valley donated more than $26,000 in 2025 and more than $14,000 through Sept. 24 this year to support children, families, schools, community organizations and individuals in need, according to Turri Colglazier, secretary of the local club.
Three events scheduled for October and November will help provide Christmas gifts and meals for Harrison County families and free breakfast for veterans.
The Adopt a Family breakfast will be from 8 to 11 a.m. Oct. 11 at the club. Adult tickets are $15. The public is invited, and the breakfast will include a costume contest with prizes.
The Adopt a Family Halloween party will follow Oct. 24 at the club, with the band Drunk Monkey playing from 8 to 11 p.m. The public is invited, and the party will include a costume contest with prizes. Colglazier said the party usually includes raffles and sometimes an auction.
Proceeds from both events will buy presents and provide food for Christmas meals through the Harrison County Christmas Adoption Program.
“We try to adopt as many families as we can at Christmastime,” Colglazier said. “There’s always families that are in need.”
Families provide lists of what they need, including clothing sizes for children, and volunteers shop and deliver the gifts to program organizers. Colglazier said the club adopted multiple families last year and tries to choose larger families. Leftover money also paid for full Christmas meals for four families.
“Nobody gets paid,” Colglazier said.
The annual veterans breakfast will be from 8 to 11 a.m. Nov. 8. The public is invited to the buffet-style, all-you-can-eat meal, and veterans eat free. Members of 4-H and Clover Kids will help clear tables and hold a bake sale.
“I think last year we had 40 veterans that we fed, which is really cool,” Colglazier said. “Because the veterans eat free, we need other people to come and eat so that it does pay for the stuff that we bought.”
Colglazier recalled seeing veteran Ray Wright reunite with a young 4-H member at a previous breakfast. Wright spent more than an hour eating and talking with the boy and his family. The club also has used breakfast proceeds to help a veteran whose home was damaged by fire.
On Dec. 5, the auxiliary, with help from Missouri Valley High School students, will deliver homemade soups, casseroles and snacks to residents of Kovar Court and Culivan Heights and other homebound community members.
The club’s Aerie handles business operations and maintains the building, while the auxiliary focuses on raising money for charity. Both contribute to charitable causes.
Recipients include the Harrison County Food Pantry, Missouri Valley school lunch program, public libraries in Missouri Valley, Logan, Woodbine and Mondamin, youth organizations and scholarships. Donations also help individuals and families facing difficult circumstances.
The club holds an annual state charity fundraiser, with this year’s proceeds benefiting the Iowa Donor Network. Colglazier said the local club raised about $6,000 at last year’s event and has raised as much as $13,000 in one night.
“We raise money and we give it away,” she said.
Volunteers wash dishes, run the cash register, cook and help with building repairs. Colglazier said the club also welcomes fundraising ideas, and prospective members can ask about joining at any event.
“Come on down. Be a visitor and talk to people, and we’ll get you signed up,” she said.
