The Forest Grove Legion celebrated Legion Week with five full days of events.
Wendy Clark, the legion’s vice president, said legion week is a great opportunity to thank volunteers and get the community together.
“It’s important that the community knows we’re here,” she said, adding that the legion is not only for veterans, they also support seniors and families.
Any funds raised from membership fees or events are put right back into the community, according to Clark.
“I love the community here,” she said. “When times are tough they always come out to support.”
Legion week ran from June 22-28.
On Saturday, June 23, the Forest Grove legion had an open house from 2 to 4 p.m. and a dance in the evening.
On Sunday, June 24, they held a community picnic in the park behind the legion.
On Monday, June 25, they brought volunteers and veterans in for a roast dinner.
On Tuesday, June 26, they had a free appetizer spread for the community’s emergency services from 5 to 7 p.m.
On Wednesday their weekly 50 plus luncheon was free in honour of legion week.
Clark said a lot of volunteer hours go into planning these events and she would love to see more people joining in.
“We’re always looking for volunteers … it would be nice to have more help and people with ideas.”
For those who always get involved and help out, she said they’re “passionate but tired.”
Pat Erskine, membership coordinator for the Hawkins Lake Volunteer Firefighters Association, was at the legion Tuesday night with her husband Wayne and many of the other volunteer firefighters.
The couple are also members of the legion.
“It’s great,” she said. “We appreciate the services (the legion) provides. It’s a meeting place for everyone.”
She added that the legion was especially important last year, during the wildfires. It served as a place to come and take your mind off of things.
Tim Wasilieff, another volunteer fire fighter with Hawkins Lake, said he was happy to have been invited to the legion.
“It’s great. I’m a legion member, too,” he said. “It’s good to get together in a social setting, instead of just at a fire hall or hauling hoses.”
Wasilieff said you don’t exerience this kind of community in big cities, “only in the small towns. It’s a tight-knight community.”
Chuck Kylar, who runs the darts events at the legion, said Forest Grove is one of the better legions in the area.
“Everybody here is friends of mine,” he said.
Kylar said legion week events were going well and that, hopefully, getting the community to come out would also get more people to join.
beth.audet@100milefreepress.net
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
