Hoosier post donates $50,000 to OCW
Post 64 Commander Kenny Hoffman (left) and Adjutant Danny Rice present OCW check to Past National Commander Jim Koutz on April 3. Photo by William E. Henry, Department of Indiana assistant adjutant

Hoosier post donates $50,000 to OCW

American Legion Post 64 in Indianapolis held its fourth annual Operation Comfort Warriors (OCW) fundraising event last Sunday, surpassing last year's OCW donation total by nearly $20,000. A $50,567 check was presented to Past National Commander Jim Koutz during the event, which was open to the public.

“They work hard here at Post 64; they believe in the Operation Comfort Warriors program,” Koutz said. “We have to keep taking care of our wounded, injured and ill troops.”

Post 64 Adjutant Danny Rice initiated the fundraiser when Koutz was elected national commander in 2012 and made OCW his primary fundraiser, raising more than $1 million for the Legion’s flagship wounded warrior support program.

“I love supporting our wounded veterans and Koutz is the one who got me started with the (OCW) fundraising event,” Rice said.

Legion family and community members who came to support the cause enjoyed a $5 bean and ham dinner, a 50/50 and candy raffle, and were able to bid on auction items such as a homemade quilt and hammock, autographed PNC Koutz memorabilia and a gold plated Jeff Gordon collector’s race car. All proceeds went to OCW.

The fundraiser was advertised in the local newspaper and on Post 64’s Facebook page, drawing non-members like Jerry and Jane Greenlee out to the post to “support them.”

“By opening our doors to the community, it lets them see what we do here,” said Post 64 Commander Kenny Hoffman. “We are proud to do this; we want the community to know that we are here for the veterans and their families.”

Besides Sunday’s event, Post 64’s Legion family members (Auxiliary, Sons of The American Legion and Legion Riders) have been donating proceeds from their 50/50 raffles and other community fundraising events to bring the OCW contribution total to more than $50,000.

"We support Operation Comfort Warriors with open arms because we love our veterans, and we want to help them out with their needs," Hoffman said.