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ALTON - The Alton VFW Post 1308 invites everyone in the community to come out, enjoy a beer and support local veterans.
With a long list of events ahead, member Chad Sibley says there’s no time like the present to see what your local VFW has to offer. The VFW provides many services to veterans and their families. But Post 1308 also has a bar, games and an upcoming quarter auction that they hope will help engage people and raise money for their community efforts.
“We do more for veterans [than anyone else] in the nation. That’s our slogan,” Sibley said. “We want to serve and we love to serve, and that’s why we joined. It’s kind of a way for us to keep serving our community and protecting our citizens. Whatever we need to do to help the community, especially veterans, we’ve got resources.”
The VFW Post 1308 connects veterans with each other and services that could benefit them. For example, they often provide medical equipment like wheelchairs to members free of charge, and they can help veterans and family members through applying for benefits or other similar processes. Sibley added that they will also volunteer their time and labor when needed.
The Post, located at 4445 N Alby Street in Alton, is open to the public. People can play video games and rent out the hall for private events. You can enjoy weekly food and drink specials, including $1.50 beers every Wednesday, at the Post’s bar, The Canteen. Anyone over the age of 18 can participate in the Queen of Hearts game. Post 1308 will also sponsor a pool league and a darts league starting in September.
To kick off a season of events, the VFW is hosting a quarter auction organized by Original Quarter Auction at 7 p.m. this Thursday, Aug. 10. The auction will celebrate the group's 14th anniversary, and everyone is invited. You can find out more about this event here or at the event’s Facebook page.
Post 1308 will also sponsor its 16th annual BushFest, a two-day music festival, on Sept. 29–30 at The Farm in Brighton. Read about it here on RiverBender.com’s event calendar, and keep an eye out for more information in the coming weeks.
While the Post has a lot of fun activities and events, Sibley reminds people that the VFW’s main focus is the veterans they serve. He noted that their work wouldn’t be possible without volunteers and donations. Over the past few months, they’ve done over $12,000 worth of repairs to the building. They’re in the process of fixing their ceiling, and they ask volunteers to join them on Aug. 29 to tear out and replace ceiling tiles.
“The community support is vital to us being able to stay open,” Sibley said. “Please donate to your local VFW, because it does help. It helps maintain the buildings and it helps the veterans and the community.”
Sibley added that they are looking for more members to join and keep the Post going strong. To join, you must be a U.S. citizen and have a history of serving on foreign soils or in hostile waters.
“The real function of the Post is to help the community and help the veterans and those that are in need of things,” Sibley explained. It’s not just about the bar, it’s not about The Canteen, it’s about the Post itself and its members and what we do for the community.”
For more information about VFW Post 1308, call 618-466-6883 or visit their official website or Facebook page.
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