By: Taylor Christensen | Royal Oak Review | Published February 11, 2026
ROYAL OAK — The Royal Oak Detroit Elks No. 34 recently provided a $2,000 grant to the Metro Detroit Youth Clubs to help fund sports equipment and membership scholarships.
“The Elks club has been a supporter of the MDYC for decades, and over the years, the Elks club has always stepped up and provided support, whether it was to help out special programs that focus on special-needs youth, which they were a huge champion for a number of years, or our recreation programs,” said Brett Tillander, president and CEO of the MDYC. “They have been a great partner over the years, and this grant in particular is super, super helpful for us.”
The Metro Detroit Youth Clubs serve over 2,400 members in locations throughout Metro Detroit, according to miclubs.org. The $2,000 will go toward providing scholarships to those who might need help paying for the $50 fee per year.
“We only charge $50 a year to be a member, but when a single mom comes in and she’s got three kids, or it’s a grandparent and she’s got multiple kids, the number can go up,” he said. “The Elks club support through this grant allows us to be able to address our families that need scholarship support for that membership.”
Carla Johnson, treasurer of Royal Oak Detroit Elks No. 34, said that the Elks decided to help the MDYC.
“We chose to give them the money so they can use the money to help the kids in need there,” Johnson said.
The mission of the Elks is “charity, justice, brotherly love and fidelity,” according to Johnson.
“We cultivate that part of it into the community. So, most of the stuff we do is community focused,” she said. “We do all of these programs to help the community.”
Being able to provide the funds for parents who need help with the costs is not the only benefit from the $2,000.
“The benefit of having MDYC in the community is that there’s a safe, accessible, affordable place for kids to go after school,” Tillander said. “When I talk about accessibility, I’m talking about the ability to be exposed to art programs, athletic programs, daily tutoring, homework assistance and leadership programs for our teens.”
Tillander said more than half of the MDYC’s 2,400 members are teens, which means that they are actively choosing to be involved in the MDYC.
“A teenager is choosing to come, so being able to provide a safe space to be able to go that is affordable, that has a variety of great programs and opportunities for learning, is really important to strengthening communities,” he said. “It is probably the biggest influence on a youth’s future, to be able to have those experiences.”
The MDYC welcomes anybody to come and be a member, and if the cost of a membership is needed, it won’t turn anybody down.
“When a mom comes in or a grandparent comes in and they know that an organization like the Elks club has made their membership possible, the relief that they get is impossible to miss, and for them to not have to fill out a piece of paper that says they’re deserving, to just be able to provide that scholarship on the spot is a powerful moment,” Tillander said. “It makes you remember how important support from the Elks club is.”
For more information on the Metro Detroit Youth Clubs, visit miclubs.org. For more information on the Royal Oak Detroit Elks No. 34, visit royaloakdetroitelks.com.