Elgin VFW Post members want to raise money to save building
Their hopes are slim, but a handful of Elgin VFW Post 1307 members are trying to raise money with a GoFundMe page and raffle fundraiser to avoid selling the building.
The members-only bar and banquet hall at 1601 Weld Road is much more than that, said Post member Paul Wenzel, who was among a minority of members who last week voted against listing the building for sale.
Post officials say there is no money for much-needed repairs including to the roof, heating and air-conditioning, parking lot and more, because the Post is barely breaking even at the end of each month.
But the building, especially the bar, is a place where veterans can spend time with others who share their experiences and get advice borne out of casual conversations about filing taxes, dealing with VA hospitals and even getting free fishing and hunting licenses, Wenzel said.
Wenzel was a Post member in the late '60s and '70s, when it was located downtown on the current site of the Grand Victoria Casino, and rejoined in the mid-1990s when it already was on Weld Road.
"The VFW was founded as a place for guys that got back from overseas, where you could sit with guys that had the same experiences overseas, so you could socialize. But it doesn't mean you had to talk about what happened overseas."
Wenzel is turning his 70th birthday into a post fundraiser Feb. 4. He and his wife, Lori, asked for donations instead of birthday presents, and put together four baskets of prizes worth $150 each. Raffle tickets, at $1 each, will be available to the public at the VFW bar from 4 to 10 p.m. weekdays and noon to 10 p.m. weekends.
Post Senior Vice Commander Nick Harrington - who at 30 is its youngest active member - started the GoFundMe effort to start paying for some of the building repairs. Harrington said he voted in favor of listing the building for sale, but wants to try to save it.
"We're in dire need right now. We need to get the ball rolling (to sell) just in case," he said. "If we don't reach our goal, I'd rather have sold the building and have some money come back and distribute it to the veterans that are in need."
Wenzel argued repairs can be staggered over time, and proposed selling a World Ward II-era truck used for parades. The Post also needs to get an accurate estimate for some of the repairs, he said. "I think they are rushing to sell the Post too quick," he said.
The Post could find a new home, such as a storefront space, but the bar is important because it gives veterans an easy reason to just drop in and find camaraderie, said Lori Wenzel, an auxiliary member.
"I just don't see how they are going to have that (camaraderie) without (the building)," she said.