Tony Lekakis is a dedicated member of the Shriner’s Masonic Temple Lodge.

For 35 years he has been involved in this organization. He became involved when his dad gave him a petition to sign to become a member.

"Back then, to be a member you had to be asked. Before you become a Shriner you have to become a Blue Lodge member. My dad invited me to join this organization. I wasn’t interested at first and told my dad that my kids had lost the petition he gave me. He gave me another one and I knew I could not get away with not signing that one," Lekakis said.

Now after 35 years, Lekakis is so deeply involved in this organization that it seems hard to believe that he put off being a member. He is now a Grand Knight Templar Commander, the highest position of the Shriners. The work that Lekakis does is soliciting new members to join and to help improve the Masonic charitable organizations. The Shriners raise more then $2 million a day for organizations nationwide.

"We raise money for the Crippled Children’ s Hospital, the Burn Hospital, the Cancer Research Hospital in Minnesota, the Eye Foundation and an educational foundation. The educational foundation gives low interest loans to junior and seniors in college," Lekakis said.

The low-interest loans are for any student, no matter what their major. Lekakis says that they have a surplus of this money and to apply, a student should contact a Grand Knight Templar such as himself. Besides all these foundations and causes, the Shriners in Austin were responsible for the first gathering of fingerprints for Children’s Identification; now this is done statewide.

"The Shriners volunteer each year for the Salvation Army to be bell ringers. We raise more money than any other organization," said Lekakis.

The Masons are always looking for new members as many dedicated past members have died. Numbers are down in this group; there are 48 Grand Templars in commandery in Austin. Lekakis gets so much personal satisfaction from being involved with this dedicated organization. It does take up a lot of his time, but he loves it.

"I enjoy the fellowship and the work we do with the Crippled Children’s Hospital. The stories of what some of those kids have gone through are amazing. We help with no strings attached to any child up to 18 years of age," Lekakis said.