San Clemente : Lodge Benefit to Help Elk Member’s Family

When Brett Heimann died at age 29 in September, friends said, he left more than a hole in the lives of his young family.

Sick with cancer for several months, the medical costs incurred during Heimann’s struggle with the disease drained the family’s bank account, causing the loss of the family’s home and pet supply business.

To help his wife and two children recover financially, the San Clemente Elks are asking residents to attend a benefit at the Elks Lodge on Saturday.

The dinner/dance will start at 6 p.m. The service group, whose lodge is at 1505 North El Camino Real, is asking for an $8 donation.

The event will feature a lasagna dinner cooked by a local chef and dancing to live music.

More than 70 raffle prizes, including a weekend at the Ritz-Carlton and river paddle boat rides, will be given away.

“This is definitely a good cause,” said John Mark, a spokesman for the Elks Lodge, to which Heimann belonged. “The family lost everything when he got sick.”

Heimann discovered in February that he had contracted leukemia. Although a bone marrow donor was found, he died soon after the transplant operation.

His wife, Pam, and the couple’s two children, one age 2 and the other an 8-month-old, are living with her parents.

“But she wants to get back into her own place,” Mark said. “We’re going to do everything we can to help.”

For more information about the event, call (714) 492-2068.