Lewiston’s Elks Lodge #896 will mark Flag Day with a community celebration on Thursday, June 12, beginning at 5 p.m., bringing together veterans, families, and civic-minded residents for an evening of patriotic ceremony, dinner, and live music.
The event will feature a posting of colors and a formal flag retirement ceremony conducted by the Alice Whitman Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution. In addition, approximately 20 veterans are expected to receive Quilts of Valor presentations, honoring their service and sacrifice. A dinner will follow the ceremony, with music provided by The Lukenbills.
Community members are welcome to attend and participate in what organizers describe as a tribute to the flag and to those who have served beneath it.
Flags and Books Accepted Through June 12
Residents wishing to retire worn or damaged American flags — along with books — may drop them off at two locations ahead of the event: the Elks Lodge in Lewiston, or 918 6th Street in Clarkston, Washington. Drop-offs are being accepted through June 12, the day of the ceremony.
Proper flag retirement is a long-standing tradition within the Elks organization, which treats the flag as a symbol deserving dignified care throughout its life and proper disposal when it can no longer be displayed.
Flag Day History Rooted in the Elks Organization
The Elks have a deeper connection to Flag Day than many Americans realize. The organization formally established June 14 as Flag Day in 1908 — eight years before President Woodrow Wilson issued an official proclamation recognizing the same date in 1916. It wasn’t until 1949 that Flag Day received permanent national recognition, when President Harry S. Truman signed legislation making it an official observance. Truman himself was an Elks member, hailing from Independence, Missouri.
That history gives the June 12 Lewiston event added meaning, as the lodge celebrates a tradition the national organization helped establish more than a century ago.
Elks Lodge: A Long History of Charitable Service
Lewiston’s Lodge #896 is part of a national organization that has been in operation for 158 years and counts roughly 800,000 members across 1,841 lodges nationwide. Over the course of its history, the Elks have contributed more than $15 billion in charitable donations across the country. In 2025 alone, Elks members donated an estimated $550 million to communities and causes throughout the United States.
That philanthropic tradition is reflected locally in events like the June 12 celebration, which combines civic ceremony with direct recognition of veterans through the Quilts of Valor component. For local veterans, a handmade quilt serves as a tangible, personal expression of community gratitude — a tradition that has grown steadily in communities across the country and throughout Idaho.
Nez Perce County has a substantial veteran population, and events that bring those residents together with the broader community reflect the kind of civic engagement that organizations like the Elks have fostered for generations. Community members who want to support local veterans may also find resources through programs like LC State’s prison education initiative, which aims to expand opportunity for underserved populations across the region.
What Comes Next
The Flag Day celebration at Lewiston Elks Lodge #896 is scheduled for June 12 at 5 p.m. Residents wishing to donate flags or books for the retirement ceremony should deliver them to the Lewiston Elks Lodge or 918 6th Street in Clarkston before the close of drop-off on June 12. The event is open to the community, and organizers encourage residents of all ages to attend and mark the occasion alongside local veterans and fellow citizens. For more on community events and resources in Nez Perce County, visit the Master Gardener Diagnostic Plant Clinics listing or browse additional community coverage at IdahoNewsNetwork.com.