Community Invited To Toms River Elks Drug Awareness Luncheon

Toms River Elks invites the community to its Drug Awareness Luncheon on Sunday, November 12, 2023 from 12 Noon to 2 PM. The guest speaker for this year's event is Toms River Police Detective Duncan MacRae, winner of the 2023 Enrique Camarena Award. This event is open to the public. Tickets are $15 and will be available at the door. Guests will be enjoy delicious, freshly made 6 foot subs, salad and dessert.

Toms River Elks #1875 presented MacRae with the award in a ceremony held on June 2 at the Wildwood Convention Center. Toms River's Drug Awareness Program, chaired by Beth Buecker, nominated MacRae in honor of all of the work he has done in our community with the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office, the Toms River Police Department Special Enforcement Team and the DEA Monmouth/Ocean County Heroin Task Force. As a law enforcement officer for more than twenty years, MacRae has focused much of his career on narcotics and gang enforcement. His goal has been to remove drugs from our community and decrease the number of deaths by overdose. Throughout his career he has sought to do this by making things as uncomfortable as possible for narcotics traffickers.

Enrique “Kiki” Camarena was an 11-year veteran Agent of the DEA. He was kidnapped, brutally tortured and then murdered by the Mexican Drug Cartel in 1985. He was a loving husband and father of three children. His death has inspired millions of Americans to lead a drug-free life and the Elks celebrate his commitment to this effort with an annual award.

Each year, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, through the Drug Awareness Program, presents the Enrique S. Camarena Award to a member of the law enforcement community who best exemplifies the qualities and principles for which Agent Camarena gave his life. One officer in each state throughout the country receives this annual award.

All proceeds from this event benefit the Toms River Elks Drug Awareness Program, and by extension, their Peer Leadership Conference. The Elks Drug Awareness Program strives to teach all children and parents about the dangers of illegal drug use and prevent the abuse of legalized and prescription drugs, and promotes a drug-free lifestyle.

Toms River Elks Lodge #1875 is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year. It is one of eleven lodges in the Southeast District of New Jersey. The lodges in the Southeast district are Asbury Park/Wall, Bayville, Brick, Howell, Jackson, Lacey, Lakewood, Manahawkin, Manasquan, Point Pleasant and Toms River. The Toms River Elks Lodge is committed to serving its 1,200+ members and the community of Toms River and surrounding areas, as well as Southeast District, State and National Elks programs. To learn more please visit www.tomsriverelks.org.

Contact: Valerie Marsden-Gray, [email protected].Toms River Elks, 600 Washington Street, Toms River, NJ 08753.