The American Legion Post 244 of Kinder will celebrate its 80th year in existence in November, and veterans have been working on the lodge to update it. The lodge is still recovering from damages from Hurricane Laura, and a recent jail-bail fundraiser was held to earn dollars to continue the repairs and beautification project at the lodge.
Commander Eric Kuyper said the fund raiser was fun and a hit as people learned how it worked. He said they split it into two nights, due to schedules. They had volunteers from the sheriff’s office to assist them, along with veteran volunteers and other Legion supporters to orchestra the event over two nights.
A total of 17 volunteers agreed to be arrested; eight on the first night and nine on the second night. The volunteers were able to purchase a $500 get-out-of-jail free card or spin the wheel. The wheel set the bail and gave the volunteer a goal to raise to get out of jail. Sounds simple, but family and friends threw ideas into the mix to make the event fun.
Kuyper said, some people raised their donations just to prevent their friends and family members from using the get-out-of-jail card or asked organizers to double the bail. He said it was all done in fun, and there was lots of laughter, as volunteers grabbed a phone and tried to raise more money for bail. Some did pre-bail raising, but learned they had to find more bail money when wrenches were thrown into the scheme of things.
That happened to the three LaCour brothers, who had pre-raised their bail money. When a donor asked to double the bail from $500 to $1,000 and promised to double his own donation, Josh had to return to the phones to raise $500 more for bail.
Local singing sensation Bernie Alan sang behind bars while friends worked the phones to raise his bail money. There are several videos on the American Legion site of Alan singing for his bail money.
Kuyper said some friends promised to bring sandwiches for their friends in jail and said they could stay there. He said some of the arrested persons promised callers they were off the Christmas list if they didn’t donate to the cause.
“It was a humorous, funny night,” Kuyper said.
Kuyper said they will begin utilizing the funds raised on continued repairs at the lodge. He’s hoping prices haven’t skyrocketed too much since the veterans received estimates on the work. He said they are waiting on contractors to return their calls.
The veterans will celebrate the lodge’s 80th anniversary in November during the Breakfast with Veterans program. This will be the 10th year of the breakfast. (The first breakfast fed 60 people. In November 2023, over 400 people attended the event.)
This year’s event will feature a custom-wood carver, Kuyper said. He said this woman from Texas creates the soldier with boots, rifle and cross from wood and a chainsaw She plans to carve on site, and the piece will be auction off at the breakfast.
In the meantime, Kuyper said the lodge will continue assisting veterans with claims, benefits and all the situations they might have.
Kuyper continues his work with the American Legions as commander. He’s also in his second year of a six-year term as commissioner to the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs (LDVA) and serves as vice commander for the Kinder VFW (Vietnam Veterans of America) Chapter 215 and sits on the board of the Kinder McRill Cemetery.