CLAREMORE, Okla. — Driving by the green building on State Highway 88, you could miss it.
The Claremore American Legion, Post 141. But for it's veterans members, missing the legion isn't an option.
“I got sober," said Dave Berglund. "Needed a place to go.”
Berglund served in the late 90s in the U.S. Navy, in the Gulf War. He's also the Second Vice Commander for he legion.
WATCH: Claremore American Legion faces closing due to financial struggles
Finding Post 141, he said, saved his life.
"Not a lot of places that you can come to, 'you got a problem? Well let’s talk about it,'" he said. "We can get you someplace to get you the help if we can’t get it to you right now. We've got the avenues, we've got the phone numbers, we know the people."
Now, the place that gave him the support and community he needed at his lowest point, is struggling itself.
So much so, that they could be forced to close the legion doors for good. Major repairs and dwindling membership are to blame, Berglund said.
“We have the cheapest beer in town, that’s not obviously paying the bills," he said. “Those major repairs that we’ve gone through in the last year, it tanked us pretty much. We’re barely running in the black on a month-to-month basis.”
Losing the legion would be catastrophic, Berglund said.
When legion member Thomas Baxter heard about the financial strain, he knew he had to act.
“We can’t allow the doors to close here and the more community involvement we have, the more opportunity the legion has to stay open," said Baxter. "Claremore has a rich history of supporting her veterans so I’m asking the city of Claremore to get involved again.”
Over the last ten months, Baxter's planned a bike night. The idea is to invite the community, specifically those with two wheels of any kind, to spend time with the veterans at the legion.
From showing off their rides to food vendors, Baxter is hopeful the bike night will help them keep the lights on and increase membership.
“The legion is a home away from home for a lot of veterans," said Baxter. "They don’t have another place where they can go where they can be surrounded by people who understand the struggles that they’re dealing with, the problems that they’ve been through and the history. And they can come here and be surrounded by people who are going through or have been through the same things that they are and it’s a support network.”
The first bike night is May 8 at 6 PM at the legion.
Going forward, they will be the second Friday of every month.
“There’s so many programs and things that the legion does out in the community to support the community," said Baxter. "Well, now it’s time for the community to support the legion.”
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