Alee Shriners: Putting smiles on children's faces
The Shriners are represented all over Georgia, with 14 units and 17 clubs from Augusta down to the Florida line and out to Vidalia.
'It never gets old,' Alee Temple Potentate Danny Fries said. 'Every year is a great year when it comes to the St. Patrick's Day parade, because you get to see people from all over the country. They come here for this festivity, and we are lucky to be a part of it. We can also show the community what we do and the support that we want to give them as well.'
Their mission is something Fries says many people don't know about, supporting children and their families through 21 Shriner hospitals.
'We are active in our community just like we are with the hospitals, because there are several times that if a child is sick, we'll take the busses around or floats around to go visit that child at their house,' Fries said. 'Our main function is to raise money to help children and support our hospitals.'
Chief Rabban David Armstrong said it's heartwarming to visit one of their hospitals and see kids receiving needed care.
'They shouldn't go without care just because they don't have the insurance that somebody else might have,' Armstrong said. 'That's why the Shriners are here, so we can help get them the care that they need regardless of their background.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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