A great big thank you to all;

     At the last General meeting of the ALR it was voted overwhelmingly to take the operations and assets of the Veterans Assistance Committee to an outside 501(c)(3) account. A big thank you is in order to the ALR Treasurer, Dick Merschdorf, who first brought up this idea 10 or 12 months ago, touting the advantages of having this operation separate for several reasons.

     First and foremost is that a lot of corporations have regulations by which they will contribute to a 501(c)(3) organization, but not a 501(c)(19), which is what the Post is.

     The Military Families Foundation also has the support of the new radio station here in Apache Junction, Rock ‘n Roll 1260 AM, along with support from Art Sloan from the Arizona Republic.

     The new Veterans Assistance Program, will basically be the same people doing the same thing, and all support and input from the American Legion Riders, the American legion Post, the Sons and the Auxiliary is welcome.

     Having the Military Families Foundation take this operation under its wing saved about $600 in filing fees etc., as opposed to forming a brand new tax free organization. The apartment that Gary Martin, one of our riders, has in Tucson while awaiting a lung transplant, is funded by the Military Families Foundation. The benefits of doing this should be enormous, and let us all keep our “eyes on the ball”, that is, the mission of helping Veterans.

     Thank you once again for supporting “The Mission”.