EducationDerby Lodge No. 365 Donates $380 to Wineteer Elementary School

Derby, Kansas (November 23, 2021)—The Kansas Masonic Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to benefitting Kansas communities, has partnered with Derby Lodge No. 365 to donate $380 to Makinzie Hogan, a local teacher at Wineteer Elementary School. The donation will help fund her thesis project of creating an outdoor sensory pathway for Wineteer Elementary School in the Derby USD 260 school district. 

Founded in 1956, Derby Lodge No. 365 is a Kansas Masonic Lodge dedicated to Freemasonry, the oldest surviving fraternal organization in the world. The lodge has over 150 members and supports various community organizations and events, including the Derby High School Senior Celebration, the local food pantry, a variety of Masonic organizations, and local school teachers who request support for unfunded learning programs to support children with disabilities. The Brothers at Derby Lodge No. 365 have also regularly contributed to Operation Holiday, which provides food and Christmas gifts to community members in need of support during the holiday season. 

“The organization we are supporting is an elementary school that helps educate special needs children with their ability to learn their ABCs and numbers,” said Derby Lodge No. 365 Secretary John French. “This graduate study program is led by Makinzie Hogan, a student that the Kansas Masonic Foundation has awarded many scholarships to over the past eight years.”

Hogan is currently in the final stages of her Master’s program in Special Education at Wichita State University, where she is working on creating an outdoor sensory pathway for her thesis project. The sensory pathway will consist of various movements that students will complete as they go through and will aid in practicing their ABCs and numbers. Not only will the proposed sensory pathway allow students to have a break during the school day and get some fresh air, but it will still remain a learning tool at the same time. To help further Hogan’s project and benefit Wineteer Elementary School, the Brothers at Derby Lodge No. 365 have teamed up with the Kansas Masonic Foundation to donate $380 to the project. The funds donated will help purchase paint and an additional Hula Hoop Hop for increased movement within the sensory pathway. A formal donation announcement will take place in the coming weeks.

About the Kansas Masonic Foundation:
As the philanthropic arm of Kansas Masons, the Kansas Masonic Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to benefiting Kansas communities and supporting fellow Masons and their families. Since its inception, the foundation has invested more than $50 million in Kansas communities and individuals through funding academic, scientific, and charitable endeavors. For additional information about the Kansas Masonic Foundation and to get involved, click here.