The Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) was honored to receive a generous donation of $80,000 from the Department of Minnesota Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Charles McLaughlin Post 906 in Hutchinson, MN. This donation was specifically directed to each individual State Veterans Home, which will receive $10,000 per location.
Department of Minnesota VFW Commander Dale Hoogeveen, VFW Charitable Gambling Manager Doug Johnson, and Jerry Tews, Charles McLaughlin Post 906 member, presented the checks to MDVA senior leadership and the Veterans Homes’ public affairs team members at the VFW Midwinter Conference on January 13.
Funding will be used at the five current State Veterans Homes in Minneapolis, Hastings, Luverne, Fergus Falls, and Silver Bay to develop and deliver new Resident activities and enhance existing Resident programming. The three future Homes in Preston, Bemidji, and Montevideo – scheduled to open in mid-2023 – will use this funding to purchase televisions for Residents’ bedrooms, an expense that skilled nursing care Residents would traditionally cover.
Commander Hoogeveen shared that this donation was the result of an initiative voted upon and taken on solely by Post 906 with enthusiastic support from local VFW members and citizens in the immediate community and nearby cities and towns. “It was absolutely a collective, united effort. These people gave their time, their talents, and their treasures to guarantee they could deliver a gift that would be well-used by our Veterans,” Hoogeveen said.
Tews, a member of Post 906 for the past 40 years, previously served as Post Commander and District Commander and is currently its Assistant Manager of Gambling. “Each year, we dedicate a large amount of resources to many community organizations doing important work, including first responders and schools. But Veterans’ needs are always first and foremost for our contributions,” he said.
Colby Mickolichek, current Commander of Post 906, says his members appreciate every opportunity for their charitable gambling to help groups dedicated to helping others. “We love when neighbors and community friends stop by to see what we’re doing. It’s an opportunity to teach a little about our mission and share our hope for what the future might hold when everyone works together,” he said.
MDVA Commissioner Larry Herke noted the significant positive impact this contribution will have on Minnesota State Veterans Homes. “A donation of this magnitude will go a long way to help increase the quality of life for our Residents. Whether it means expanding Home services or providing unique or special Home products not currently included on our campuses, the end result will be an improved daily experience for Veterans.”
MDVA extends its gratitude to the Department of Minnesota Veterans of Foreign Wars and Charles McLaughlin Post 906 in Hutchinson. Their partnership is essential in helping the State Veterans Homes provide the highest level of care to those who have served.
