Appreciation Rally also raises funds for Commander’s Project

Post commander to feed attendees for free but asks for donations

BLOOMINGTON — Bloomington Post 550 is hosting the Appreciation Rally in March, and Post Commander Blaine Beste has put a new spin on it.

“We are willing to cover the cost of the food,” Beste said. “Members of the Legion Family eat for free as long as they sign up before March 7 so we can get a headcount.”

However, there is more to it.

“In exchange, I want people to bring a donation to the Department Commander’s Project. Her project is my project,” Beste said.

He said people can bring their own personal donations or they can bring a donation from their post, unit, squadron or chapter. He wants to see many donations, whether big or small, during the program.

Checks can be made out to Minnesota American Legion Foundation, with Fund 82 in the memo. (Fund 82 is always the commander’s project.)

“We want the presentations part of the rally to be the best part,” Beste said.

The Appreciation Rally is March 14 at Bloomington’s Veterans Club, a post home Post 550 shares with VFW Post 1296. It is at 311 W. 84th St., behind the Lyndale Avenue Cub Foods. Look for the Huey helicopter out front.

To sign up online, go to the Department of Minnesota website, mnlegion.org, and under “Events” find “Appreciation Rally.” Click on “Register Online for your meal on Zeffy before March 7.” That takes you to Zeffy, and you simply sign up. There’s no cost at all.

To sign up offline, mail a donation check and the names of attendees to American Legion Post 550, 311 W. 84th. St., Bloomington, MN 55420.

Anyone who comes to the door but failed to register in advance will have to pay $20, which will go toward the Commander’s Project.

Commander Linda Dvorak’s Project raises money for the Minnesota Veterans Assistance Fund and for benches and pillars at the new Minnesota Military & Veterans Museum. Of the funds raised, 75 percent will go to MVAF and 25 to the museum.

The rally begins at 11 a.m. with a social hour in the banquet hall. The meal is at noon. The program follows.

The department rallies aren’t all about membership like they used to be, said Department Commander Linda Dvorak.

She and Auxiliary Department President Robin Dorf wanted to focus on programs and the Four Pillars. They rally to charge the spirit of members.

“President Robin and I wanted to focus our rallies around our programs instead of membership so we are focusing on two pillars at each rally,” Dvorak said.

The American Legion Department Executive Committee meets at 9:30 a.m. in the banquet hall. The American Legion Auxiliary Executive Committee meets at 8 a.m. in the conference room.

Beste added that he hopes future hosts of department rallies will follow Post 550’s example and turn the events into fundraisers for commander or president projects by donating meal costs.