Working together to benefit others

American Legion Post 283’s Legion Riders chapter already has been named the Department of Florida Chapter of the Year multiple times. There’s little doubt anyone in and around the Arlington, Fla., community would be surprised of that fact.

Since its founding in 2006, Chapter 283 has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for charitable organizations around the area. The bulk of that comes during the chapter’s annual fall poker run that includes a barbecue dinner, live music, raffles, a 50-50 drawing and silent auctions.

Chapter 283 member Terry “T.W.” Wallace said after the chapter formed, it began looking for a local cause to help support. That led to a $1,500 donation to Community Hospice’s PedsCare in 2007 for a picnic for the siblings of children at PedsCare. More than 40 Riders also showed up at the picnic, grilling food for the guests.

That started a relationship that saw Chapter 283 raise more than $100,000 over the next six years for Community PedsCare, which in turn dedicated a room at one of its facilities to Chapter 283.

Auxiliary Unit 283 member Stacy McCormack, who handles public relations for the chapter, said no one really knew what they were doing when they first started the fundraisers.

“We were afraid we would get to the event and fail,” she said. “So we met monthly for four or five months, and then we went to twice a month. And then the last two months we drove each other crazy because we met weekly. From there we kind of defined our roles and learned what to do.”

In 2014, the Riders switched their fall fundraising focus to the Five Star Veterans Center, a Jacksonville, Fla., nonprofit corporation that provides housing to displaced veterans dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder. More than 360 motorcycles participated in the event, which raised $20,500; Five Star will again be the charity for this year’s ride, which takes place Saturday, Sept. 26.

Riders will travel 130-140 miles during the poker run, making stops at Legion posts and a Moose lodge. Legion Riders from all over the state, as well as Georgia and North Carolina, come to Arlington to participate.

“Once we get our publicity material out, we pass it out to the Riders and they take it wherever they go,” said Chapter 283 Second Vice Director Rodney Fullwood Jr., a member of the Sons of The American Legion. “It’s promoted everywhere. We go out and beat feet.”

That the fundraisers have generated so much money is because it’s a Legion family effort. “The success of this event has been because we had the cooperation of everybody at the post: the SAL, the Legion and the Auxiliary,” said Chapter 283 member Phil Jansen. “If we didn’t have all of them, we couldn’t have done it.”

“You’ve got to have that cooperation,” added Danny Hill, finance officer for SAL Squadron 283. “That’s what made us successful.”

But the fall fundraiser is merely a part of Chapter 283’s efforts within its community. The chapter supports programs like Wreaths Across America, veterans assistance programs and the USO. The chapter also hosted a CPR class, joined with other Fifth District chapters to raise $26,000 for the March of Dimes, and organized a ride that raised $20,030 for the Sua Sponte Foundation, a nonprofit created to serve the warriors and the families of the U.S. Army’s 1st Ranger Battalion.

All told this year, the Riders raised well over $100,000 for its community while spending more than 12,000 hours and 80,000 miles on the road.

The chapter also has made an impact on its own members. This year it started a Rider Down Fund that will provide assistance to a member of the chapter going through financial difficulty. And beyond that, Post 283 member David “Zippy” Kline said joining Chapter 283 “changed my life. Because of being involved with … people who knew what the Legion was all about, I had to get involved.”

Since starting with 20 members, Chapter 283 has grown to more than 160 members. “Another thing (that) helps the (chapter) grow is that we not only do our charity runs and do the work, but we also do a few things for ourselves,” Fullwood said. “We do fun things. These events pull us together and make us a tighter group. You’ve got to have that balance to keep that group growing and keep the members’ attention. All of these things are what makes us a family and a group that will be here for the duration, I’m sure.”

Word of mouth also helps. “People want to be a part of a group of people who are shakers and movers,” McCormack said. “We all get along. We all take responsibility when we need to, and we jump in. We’re action people. And we really are a post family.”