Community Corner
VFW Makes Music, Money for Local Veterans Cause
Proceeds from Friday's jazz night will benefit the Fisher House Foundation, which provides free lodging for out-of-town families visiting veterans in VA hospitals.
Members and friends of Lemont's turned out for an evening of jazz and dancing Friday to benefit the Fisher House Foundation, an organization that offers free lodging for families of wounded or sick veterans in VA hospitals.
In the last two years, Lemont 22 Honor VFW Post 5819 has donated $10,000 to
the Fisher House at Hines VA Hospital, near Maywood.
The fundraiser, featuring the Outcast Jazz Band, was organized by the post’s
quartermaster, Rich Niziolek. The band members are friends who played at his wedding, he said.
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Another friend, Rosanne Romanogli, catered a variety of appetizers at no charge to the post. She is one of 35 members in an investment club led by Niziolek, and has a family business, Italo American Accordion, in Oak Lawn.
Romanogli has a soft spot for veterans, having retired from working in patient care at the Jesse Brown VA Hospital in Chicago.
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“This is a nice organization,” Romanogli said of the Lemont post.
Donna Panzer, bar manager, and Danette Angone, bartender, also helped out at
the event.
Jeff Bain described the VFW as “an amazing place” for the work it does for
veterans. Bain was in a dancing mood and cajoled several women onto the floor
for swing dancing. He said he taught country-western dancing for 14 years and
still does a line-dance class occasionally.
Fisher Houses, similar to Ronald McDonald Houses, offer a common kitchen, laundry room, dining and living room for guests.
VFW members Ted Dziubek and Paul Krisciunas noted that Fisher House was chosen by the post because of its high rating on Charity Navigator, an online service that calculates how much of a donation actually goes to an organization.
“Nearly 100 percent goes” to Fisher House, they said.
Bill Ward, post commander, said, “If we make a decent amount of money [from
the fundraiser], we’ll do it again in the fall. We’re going to try a lot of
things.
“So many vets’ families come from hundreds of miles away. Now they can stay
for nothing. What a good service,” Ward said.
At one time, VFW posts and their barrooms were open to only veterans. As the population of veterans decreased, posts were opened to all.
“I’m not a veteran, but I come here to meet really nice people,” said Michael Guziec of Lemont.
More information on the Fisher House Foundation, along with a list of items needed for the homes, can be found at www.fisherhouse.org.
