Arizona Elks Major Projects

In 1992, the Arizona Elks Major Projects began their incredible commitment to the work of the Steele Children’s Research Center. Raising between $200,000 and $300,000 each year, the Elks have made a significant difference in children’s health--raising more than $9 million for the Steele Children's Research Center.

In 2022, the Arizona Elks began a 5 year commitment to raise $2.5 million dollars for Steele that is focused on healthy brain development in children through the protection against injury; nutrition and brain development; and causes, diagnosis, and treatment of injuries.

Arizona Elks provides direct support for the Marvin Lewis Pediatric Teaching Center, the Arizona Elks Pediatric Clinic, the Phoenix Translational Research Center, and have endowed three chairs at the Steel Children’s Research Center.

The Neonatology Research Chair is making major research discoveries about potentially fatal diseases; the Statewide Pediatric Research Chair helped establish the Phoenix Branch of Steele in order to treat a greater number of children in the state; and the Technology and Innovation Fund invests in the latest cutting-edge instruments to ensure scientists have the tools to discover breakthroughs for children.

On the sixth floor of the Steele Center Research Tower, three laboratories were underwritten by the Arizona Elks. AEMP support has facilitated critical research and helped the physicians, scientists and researchers make new discoveries, teach the next generation of scientists, and heal the children of Arizona and others.


Arizona Elks Endowed Chair in Statewide Pediatric Research (Chairholder: Wayne Morgan, MD): This endowed chair creates a leadership position to help focus on the Steele Children's Research Center's role as a thought leader in children's health in Arizona. One of the ways this will be accomplished is by continuing to expand clinical research throughout the state, primarily in Maricopa County, due to its population.
Arizona Elks Endowed Faculty Research for Technology and Innovation (Chairholders: Fayez K. Ghishan, MD and Pawel Kiela, DVM, PhD): Having direct access to the newest equipment permits our researchers to conduct scientific experiments much more quickly. This endowed research fund provides perpetual funding to ensure that our researchers have an annual resource to support purchasing and maintaining innovative equipment for labs.

Steele Center Impact


To learn more about the Arizona Elks, visit their website.