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By Larry Grard
TPI Feature Writer
FAIRFIELD — Of the thousands of Veterans of Foreign Wars posts, the national VFW selects only one post each year for its National Outstanding Community Service Award. Twice in the past five years, little Fairfield Memorial Post 6924 has stood the tallest among its peers.
In July, Steve Dostie, the Post 6924 service officer, traveled to New Orleans to accept the 2017 National Outstanding Community Service Award. At the entrance to the post in downtown Fairfield, the 2013 award hangs.
Quite understandably, members of the Fairfield VFW are proud of the distinction.
“We’re quite proud of it for the size of our post,” said Quartermaster Virgil Whitney, who saw combat duty with the U.S. Army in Vietnam. “Only one post in the country gets it.”
Commander Todd Boothby, who fought with the Marines in Desert Storm, said that post officers submit a monthly report on community service and donations to the national VFW.
“The amount of support did it,” Boothby said. “We give over $100,000 a year away. We gave $10,000 to the National Children’s Home. For a post of our size – about 130 members – that’s a lot of money.”
Locally, Post 6924 recently presented $7,500 to Christmas for Teens, a program for families in need at Lawrence High School. Special Olympics, fuel assistance and the Travis Mills Foundation are also high on the priority list for giving. The VFW Auxiliary is a big help when it comes to fundraising, Boothby and Whitney agreed.
The Fairfield VFW raises most of its money in-house. It sells state-licensed, sealed tickets for $1 apiece that are good for cash prizes.
“We sell a ton of them,” Boothby said. “We have a lot of loyal customers because we do so much in the community.”
Post 6924 also rents out its downstairs and ground-floor halls, as well as its outdoor pavilion, for functions.
Standing in front of the 2017 National Outstanding Community Service Award, which hangs in the hallway, Boothby and Whitney had reason to smile.
“It’s a pretty big deal,” Boothby said. “We’re proud of it.”
CAPTION:
Commander Todd Boothby, left, and Quartermaster Virgil Whitney stand in front of the 2017 National Outstanding Community Service Award in the Post 6924 hallway. (Larry Grard photo)
