VFW donates to safety services

PERKINS TWP. — Those at the VFW Post 2529 recently donated $50,000 to various local safety service agencies. Among those receiving an individual $10,000 check: Perkins fire, Perkins police, Sandusky fire and Sandusky police. Each department plans to spend its $10,000 share on equipment needs. Additionally, the VFW provided an extra $10,000 for Perkins police so commanders can purchase a classic motorcycle previously in its fleet. These donations formally occurred at the VFW's recent Fourth of July picnic on its grounds: 604 W Perkins Ave., Sandusky. Among some other notable events taking place at the public picnic: • The VFW post's honor guard presented colors. • All guests could receive food, and veterans didn't pay anything to eat. • Plenty of kid-friendly activities, such as a bounce house, were available. • DJ Jim Mazza along with Nashville recording artists Blaine Bunting and Justin Dukes entertained the crowd. This latest donation continues an ongoing trend undertaken by the post's current regime.Members donate at least $200,000 a year back into the local community, post commander Shawn Tordi said. "Our actions align with the multifaceted mission of the VFW, which focuses on fostering camaraderie among veterans of overseas conflicts, serving veterans, the military and their communities and advocating for all veterans," post quartermaster Joshua Bender said. "This involves strengthening comradeship, assisting those in need, perpetuating the memory of fallen comrades and promoting patriotism," Bender added. "While we were overseas protecting our country, the men and women in first responder uniforms were here in the states keeping our families safe. This is our way of helping those protecting our communities get the resources they need to do so." People can learn more by visiting facebook.com/vfwpost2529sandusky. More on the motorcycle Perkins police Capt. Martin Curran provided some context on the planned motorcycle purchase: In the early 2000s, our police department operated a motorcycle unit using motorcycles leased from Harley-Davidson for a nominal fee. The leasing program for Perkins Township concluded in 2004. And since then, the department has not maintained a motorcycle as part of its active fleet. Recently, we discovered that a privately owned Harley-Davidson motorcycle — originally leased to the department in 2004 — remains in its original condition and has been preserved since its service years. We are currently working with the owner to acquire the motorcycle and reintroduce it into our fleet. This exciting endeavor has been made possible through the generosity of VFW Post 2529, which has graciously offered to cover the cost of the motorcycle. We plan to have the motorcycle operational by 2026 where it will serve not only as part of our fleet but also play a prominent role in community outreach events and ceremonies. In addition to funding the motorcycle purchase, VFW Post 2529 has made a second generous donation to the department for the purchase of essential equipment and training. We are incredibly grateful for their continued support of our officers and our mission.