AUBURN, Mass. - The Auburn Elks Lodge put in some elbow grease Saturday in an effort to help some local kids in need.

The group teamed up with the organization "A Bed for Every Child." Volunteers spent hours during the morning building 20 beds which will go to kids in need. About 80 members took part in the building. Despite the windy conditions, the lodge filled its parking lot with the beds. Many of the beds will benefit local children in Central Massachusetts. The elks say the importance of a good night's sleep can't be understated.

"As adults, we know we need our sleep at night," said Christopher Stannard, the lecturing knight for Auburn Elks Lodge #2118. "Our children, who are just starting to blossom and learn, that's the big thing: learn. Studies have shown, without a good night’s rest, it's harder for them to stay on par with the learning curve. If you've got a child sleeping on a floor every night, that's just not the way you the way you want to start your day, the way you want to go about learning, and becoming an adult."

"A Bed for Every Child" will provide mattresses. Members of the lodge donated bedding and pillows, as well as teddy bears. They say the construction of the beds cost $7,000, $6,000 of which was from the Elks National Foundation's grant program. The other $1,000 is from the Auburn Lodge's bingo program.