ORANGE PARK – This year is one of celebration for the Morocco Shrine.

The year marks three significant anniversaries. Shriners International celebrates 150 years since its incorporation in 1872.

The Morocco Shriners mark 134 years since its founding in 1888, and Shriners Children’s Hospitals will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the opening of the first hospital.

Leading the Morocco Shrine in this year of celebration is elected Illustrious Potentate Eddie Edwards and Lady Becky of Jacksonville.

He is currently employed at WestRock in Fernandina Beach, where he works as a Mechanical Planner for the past 10 years. He and his wife, Becky, are the proud parents of two children: Shelby Bender and Madison Edwards. Eddie has three children from a previous marriage: John, Travis and Chelsea. Together Becky and Eddie have eight grandchildren.

Potentate Edwards is a Mason who is active in Callahan Lodge No. 32, and Morocco parade units: Fernandina Beach Drift Kings, Rough Riders, Hot Sparks, and West Jax Ballyhoos.

Shriners was founded in 1872. A group of 13 Masons from New York City who met regularly, discussed the idea of forming a fraternity of Masons to meet in the spirit of fellowship, fun, family and philanthropy while keeping the tenets of Masonry.

Morocco Shrine moved from Jacksonville and opened its doors at its new location this year located at 560 Wells Road.

In 1922, the first Shriners hospital opened in Shreveport, Louisiana. Since that time, Shriners hospitals have grown into a network of 22 hospitals with locations in the United States, Canada and Mexico, and is now one of the largest pediatric sub-specialty healthcare systems in the world.

More than one million children have been treated at Shriners children’s hospitals for orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injury and cleft lip and palate. These services are provided to children 18 years of age and younger, regardless of the family’s ability to pay.

To help celebrate these significant anniversaries, on Oct. 8 will be the fourth annual Car Show at the Morocco Shrine Center, which is free to the public.

A birthday party and family picnic will be held at Morocco Shrine Center once the building remodel is completed. Many other events are planned, and information about the Shrine events can be found at www.moroccoshrine.org.

Call the Shrine Center office at (904) 909-2681 Monday through Friday if you need information regarding any event or would like to know more about the organization’s hospitals and how they can be of service to a child in need.