Airstream donates $30,000 to Jackson Center American Legion post

Airstream donates $30,000 to Jackson Center American Legion post

American Legion Scherer Post 493 in Jackson Center recently got a fundraising boost from Airstream. Mark Wahl, Airstream’s senior vice president of operations, presented a check in the amount of $30,000 to Ron Leininger of The American Legion. The donation helps the post meet their fundraising goal of $60,000 to replace a leaky roof and install new windows. Leininger, the post’s adjutant and chaplain, spearheaded the fundraising effort. He said that without Airstream’s generous matching funds, the project might never have come to pass. “I wanted to get this done for the veterans that are coming up behind us, so when we’re gone we’ll leave it the way it was given to us 50 years ago,” he said.
The donation was a natural fit for Airstream’s community outreach. The company currently employs over 50 current and former members of the armed forces.
“Airstream’s proud to be a part of the Jackson Center community for the last 65 years,” said Wahl. “We’re pleased to be able to help with this project that’s so important to so many people in the community and our company.”
The renovation will allow the post to better serve local veterans, widows and families in need. In order to fund these efforts, American Legion halls across the country are often rented for use in their communities.
The deteriorating state of the Jackson Center building left something to be desired. Years of weather resulted in a leaky roof, and the old windows were drafty. After repairing the building, Leininger hopes it will be utilized by the community for wedding receptions, graduation parties and other events.
A Vietnam veteran, Leininger said the building was built by World
War II and Korea veterans in 1967. When he returned from Vietnam, he joined the crew that helped complete it. Now he’s excited to restore the building for the community. “I want it to be a building of pride,” Leininger said.