NILES — The Niles Elks hosted Sundapalooza!,  a four-hour, free festival for all members of the specials needs community, on Sunday, June 23 at the Elks Lodge, 1322 Canal St.

The event featured carnival-like games and prizes for attendees, food, bingo, karaoke, face painting and more. There was also a headline performance by Magician Rusty Ammerman, who presented his “Second Dimension,” show.

Sundapalooza! is an offshoot of the Niles Elks Lodge is monthly Sunday Funday club, that launched in June 2017. The free, monthly club is well received by special needs individuals and their supporters in southwest Michigan and northwest Indiana, said organizers. Individuals attend for socialization, food, crafts and bingo.

“We are delighted with the continued growth of our Sunday Funday group,” said Diana Baker, co-chair of Niles Elks Sunday Funday. “Our goal with Sunday Fundays was to provide this segment of our community with an opportunity to socialize with their peers and participate in activities designed specifically for them. We started with an average of 20 attendees and have grown to almost 60. It’s a terrific group of people, and we have a great time with them every month.”

Sunday Fundays, hosted on the fourth Sunday of every month from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Elks Lodge, is spearheaded by co-chairs Baker and Julie Clark along with a crew of Elks volunteers that work diligently each month to put on the event.

The Lodge, which has been an active supporter of the community by hosting Southside School prom, graduation and other activities, was delighted to find another way to serve individuals with special needs, Clark and Baker said.

“Sundapalooza! is pretty amazing,” Clark said. “We’ve been in planning mode for months and are hoping that we will draw even more people this year than last year. One of the keys to our success so far has been garnering support from organizations in the community. Our sponsors, including MCAI, Ideal Consolidated and Wings, Etc., are not only supporting Sundapalooza! but also the monthly Sunday Funday event. Many individuals have also stepped up financially to help the group grow. I can’t stress how much we appreciate that.”

The additional support allows the Elks to expand the roster of activities offered to Sunday Funday attendees. Each month they create something — painted pots and flowers, tie dye shirts, Christmas cards — and play bingo with prizes for everyone.

Food is also provided, with Sunday Funday members always looking forward to nachos, sub sandwiches, snacks and dessert.  There is also a birthday club to celebrate attendee birthdays every month as well as a Christmas party visited by Santa and with gifts for all.

In addition to the Niles Elks and Elks National Foundation, other organizations in the region that provide support include the Mechanical Contractors Association of Indiana, Ideal Consolidated, Caron Custom Homes, and a number of individual benefactors in the community.