Enthusiasm helps post surpass donations to V&CF
Madison, Wis., Post 501 Historian Morris Sadicario. 

Enthusiasm helps post surpass donations to V&CF

Morris Sadicario was the top fundraiser in June for the third annual 100 Miles for Hope challenge, raising $774 for The American Legion Veterans and Children Foundation (V&CF). Sadicario is serving as his American Legion post’s project leader for the challenge and is “thankful and elated” that Post 501 in Madison, Wis., received this fundraising recognition.

“As soon as word got out about 100 Miles for Hope, members of Post 501 went into action,” said Sadicario, the post historian who is walking for the challenge. “We decided on a plan, launched it and haven't looked back. Our Post Commander Thomas Stolarczyk is behind our efforts to promote and support 100 Miles for Hope.”

The American Legion’s third annual 100 Miles for Hope is a fitness and wellness challenge where participants log 100 miles by Labor Day, Sept. 5, and fundraise for the Veterans and Children Foundation. All proceeds from registrations and donations go directly to V&CF, which supports disabled veterans and military families in financial need. (Learn more and register for the third annual challenge here.)

Sadicario has raised nearly $1,000 for V&CF, surpassing an initial fundraising goal of $500. He credits this success to outreach efforts.

The post holds a weekly burger and brat fundraiser where donations support the post, squadron, 40 & 8 and 100 Miles for Hope. Sadicario created a 100 Miles for Hope flyer that directs donors to his 100 Miles for Hope mobile cause donation page, and he inserts the flyer into each burger and brat to-go bag. He has printed about 200 flyers each week for the past month. Sadicario also created a donation flyer from resources available on legion.org/100miles/tools that he sent to friends and family. And a 100 Miles for Hope promo with a link to donate to Sadicario is featured in Post 501’s monthly newsletter.   

“The outreach effort that I can attest to knowing that works very well is personal friends. That’s our No. 1 source (for donations),” Sadicario said. “But our neighbors, friends and associates (are getting) caught up in our enthusiasm and have been giving generously. The enthusiasm that I get back from people who are donating is a reflection of the enthusiasm that I show them for the project. Their enthusiasm is a mirror of mine.”

And thanks to the efforts of Post 501 members and website co-managers Christine Robbins and William Robbins, Post 501’s website features Sadicario’s mobile cause donation page and shares how donations support V&CF.  

“We can never contribute enough to veterans when they return from their tasks,” Sadicario said. “No matter how much the government can put into play, there’s always people who simply – because of circumstances that they don’t have control over – they need some assistance. The thing that I found good here was that it (the Veterans and Children Foundation) is focused for veterans and children, and for service officers. Those three things are my guiding purposes for this.”