INDIAN ROCKS BEACH — A Fourth of July party at Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10094 brought in 23 new members.
And the event’s sponsors picked up the tab for every one of them.
Bluffs Business Association President Larry Bell presented post officials with a check for $845 last week, an amount equal to the first-year dues waived for those who signed up July 4.
“Prior to VFW Post 10094’s Independence Day Celebration, Powered By Belltech and the Real Florida Republicans committed to sponsoring every new membership application submitted that day,” Bell said in an Aug. 2 email. “By removing the cost of joining, the partnership helped welcome 23 new members into the VFW family.”
Four joined the VFW itself and 19 joined the auxiliary, Bell said.
The all-day celebration of the nation’s 250th birthday, held at the post on Walsingham Road, offered food, games, giveaways and live entertainment. But recruiting was a central aim from the start, said Bell, who owns an IT and telecommunications company — an effort to counter the membership declines squeezing longtime fraternal organizations nationwide.
“This story highlights a successful collaboration between a local veterans organization, community partners, businesses, and volunteers working together to strengthen support for our veterans and their families,” Bell wrote.