The dining room during a community dinner.

 

Giving more than thanks on Thanksgiving

Alexandria Bay, NY

To answer the commander's call on what are we doing to serve our communities on Thanksgiving, I would like to thank the American Legion Family of John B. Lyman Post 904, American Legion Department of New York. Every year on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, the Legion Family at the post prepares a Thanksgiving meal for the community. The turkey, stuffing, potatoes, veggies, squash, pumpkin pie and cake meal is both excellent and free of charge for anyone in the community. The Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts and Girl Scouts help serve the meal. The small community of Alexandria Bay sees over 200 of our neighbors at the annual event. New Post Commander Justin Miller worked the serving line with the American Legion Auxiliary, greeting community. Justin enjoyed seeing so many in the community come to the post home and share a meal together. He feels our community outreach is a very important aspect of our American Legion post. "We do Scouting, Jr. Shooting Sports, Oratorical and Boys and Girls State, but we do so much more when you add the American Legion Auxiliary's outreach into the community for the children. Post 904's Sons of the American Legion and Legion Riders programs are always willing to raise money to support our efforts too." John B. Lyman Post 904 was actually already serving as a veterans service organization in Alexandria known as "the Great War Veterans of America" when they voted to join the newly formed Department of New York American Legion at its founding. Post Adj. Dean Erck points out that "the veterans who formed this post initially had a strong commitment to community, country and other veterans. For 100 years Post 904 has served as an example of the reasons The American Legion was founded and has embraced missions that national, department and post have taken on throughout that time. Post 904 is a success because of its love of community and that communities love of it." We agree, National Commander Brett Reistad, Legion Family members are always modeling what citizenship means, and giving more than thanks on Thanksgiving is what we do.

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