DOWAGIAC — Members of the Dowagiac Elks-889 take two trips a year to give donations they have collected to the Battle Creek Veterans Hospital. On a recent trip in late November, a donated guitar and keyboard inspired Dowagiac Elks-889 members Susie Gendron and Ray and Zana Klomes with a new mission.

An interaction with a veteran inspired the group to make it their mission to take as many musical instruments as possible to the hospital’s music therapy program, which offers ensembles, lessons, stress management lessons, recordings and yoga.

As the Elks members handed over the donated items at the hospital, a veteran in the hospital’s music therapy clinic picked up the guitar and shared his story with the group.

“He just started playing it and went into a story of how he hadn’t played since he went into the service,” Gendron, the inner guard with the Elks said. “He had myself and Ray and Zana Klomes just about in tears by the time we left with his story.”

As an Elks Lodge, Gendron said the Elks concentrate on giving back to youth activities, exceptional citizens and veterans.

Gendron said the therapists and director at the hospital told the group of the success the hospital was having with the program.

“Music is great therapy for anybody,” she said. “These veterans are using the instruments and playing them to work through some of their stressors that they developed from war.”

The hospital told the Elks that they have no budget allocated to purchase the instruments, but do have a budget in place for repairing instruments that are donated.

With the mission to collect instruments only a few weeks in progress, Gendron said the Elks have already received a guitar and flute. Several members have also agreed to donate trombones.

“A lot of us have kids that went through band, and now we have these instruments that are collecting dust,” Gendron said. “They are just taking up space. We were hoping to get into that niche audience and get them up to the Elks Lodge. We can donate them.”

Gendron said the hospital would love to receive a drum set. There is not currently one in the program, and it has several veteran drummers. The program staff are also accepting any kind of instrument, including woodwinds and brass instruments.

“Something is going to speak to one of those guys, and then the hospital will have that inventory to use them,” Gendron said.

Once the Elks are able to collect enough musical donations, the group will make a special trip to Battle Creek Veteran’s Hospital to donate the items, Gendron said.

“The vet picked up this guitar, and he played so beautifully,” she said. “That’s what the therapist said, ‘it comes out that easily with music. They share that easily.’ It was amazing.”