Top fundraising departments in six categories of the USA 250 Challenge, which ends July 4, will receive special plaques at national convention from National Commander Wiley.
As our nation nears its special 250th birthday celebration, American Legion Family participants in the USA 250 Challenge have one last shot to help their department win a competition.
With just 10 days to go, the department fundraising challenge is heating up, thanks to fundraisers being held at conventions and other events.
For example, the Department of Massachusetts vaulted from third to first in its category, thanks to $2,800 in donations over three days during a special 250-mile continuous walk throughout the state. Now, with 10 days to go, it’s a three-way race between Massachusetts, New Jersey and North Carolina in their category.
In all, five of the six categories in the department challenge are undecided at this point. Each of the six winning departments will receive special recognition from American Legion National Commander Dan K. Wiley. He will present plaques on stage at national convention to the departments with the highest fundraising totals at the conclusion of the challenge, July 4.
As of June 24, the leading departments in each category are Indiana, California, Tennessee, Massachusetts, New Mexico and Rhode Island.
All fundraising for the 250 Challenge benefits the Veterans & Children Foundation (VCF), which supports disabled veterans and military families facing financial burdens.
The categories are:
Category 1: California, Florida, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Category 2: Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin
Category 3: Arizona, Georgia, Iowa, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey and North Carolina.
Category 4: Alabama, Colorado, Connecticut, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Washington and West Virginia
Category 5: Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Idaho, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Vermont.
Category 6: District of Columbia, France, Hawaii, Latin America, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island and Wyoming.
All funds through July 4 of this year will count toward the department totals.
How to fundraise
To start your fundraising campaign, head to your participant account page and log in. From there, check out this handy FAQ that will walk you through a few steps to get started.
For assistance or questions, please email: donorservices@legion.org
- USA250 Challenge