Long live the king!: Although Aug. 16 will mark 15 years since the death of Elvis Presley, it would be correct to say that The King is gone but certainly not forgotten.
One who has been keeping the memory alive for 900 members of the Elvis Presley Burning Love Fan Club is Bill DeNight of Streamwood, who founded the association 10 years ago.
DeNight, who will be heading off to Memphis for the anniversary of Presley`s death to host a convention for fans, said that while his club members enjoy collecting and trading memorabilia, books, videos and records, the club also has a higher purpose.
”By next January, our 10th anniversary,” said DeNight, ”this club will have donated $100,000 in charitable contributions to two Memphis hospitals, Le Bonehur Children`s Hospital and the Elvis Presley Trauma Center. Every year on each anniversary of Elvis`s death, we match in thousands of dollars the number of years that we`ve been without Elvis. So this year, we`ll be contributing $15,000 in charitable donations.”
DeNight raises funds through memorabilia auctions and the sales of T-shirts, calendars and Elvis cookbooks, which he said contain some of Elvis`
favorite recipes.
”I`ve never done anything as rewarding as this,” DeNight said. ”For me it`s a way to help sick children through our donations while we keep Elvis` memory alive.”
