Members of the Dowagiac Elks recently donated $1,500 to the administration of the Dowagiac Union Schools district.

The money will be distributed to the four elementary schools, as well as Dowagiac Middle School, for the purchase of books in the buildings’ libraries.

Each school has a need for a larger number of books, which the students can use to help with classwork or to read for fun.

The Elks’ donation will help close the gap between library budgets and library needs, club members said.

“This donation is just one of the projects the Dowagiac Elks does for youth in the Dowagiac area,” said Dick Morey, a representative with the service club.

Other youth projects include high school college scholarships, the Elks junior golf program and the club’s annual hoop shoot contest, which takes place Saturday.