The Lowell Veteran’s Center looking for donations to fix roof
By Bill Lee - Contributing Writer
The Lowell Veterans Center, which houses both the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 8303 and American Legion Post 152 in the same building, needs help.
Last year during some storms, branches crashed through the roof causing serious damage. Eventually, one of the members patched it up, but they quickly came to the conclusion that they would need a new roof; this time a steel roof would be the way to go. Herm Weststrate, one of the members, who belongs to the American Legion and VFW, is leading the charge in helping to raise funds for the project. S&T Metals, out of Grand Rapids, has given the center a very good price to replace the roof for $37,000. The veteran’s center has already collected a few thousand dollars in donations but will need several thousands more to make up for the costs.
Weststrate is hoping to collect enough money, by April, to pay the contractors at least half of the cost, and is seeking private donations. They have been getting the word out to businesses, the Lowell Chamber of Commerce, and Mercantile Bank. As of now, they are well short of their goal.
There have been many people and groups who have shown their support. Recently, Weststrate met state representative, Gina Johnsen, at former Lowell Police Chief Chris Hurst’s retirement party. She is on the armed forces committee in Lansing and Weststrate spoke with her about supporting the cause. The local Cub Scout Group 3188 and the local Boy Scout Group 102 will be helping the Veteran Center, as well.
The VFW and American Legion members meet every month. All members are veterans and the difference between the two is that the members of Veterans of Foreign Wars have to have been deployed to a hazardous duty area, while members of the American Legion just have to have served in the military.
Weststrate was in the US Army December 1966 - December 1969 and served in Vietnam for nine months, including during the Tet Offensive. If that wasn’t enough, he also served with the Army National Guard from 1974 - 1976. “Once you raise your hand to serve your country…it’s like marriage,” said Weststrate. “Death do you part.” Speaking of, he has been with his wife, Bonnie, since the mid-1960s.
Another member of the Veterans Center, who hopes the building will get repaired soon, is John Kuk, a resident of Lowell and Veteran of the US Air Force. Kuk enjoys being a part of the Veterans’ Center. “It’s really personal here,” said Kuk. “I get along with the guys very well.” Kuk also served in Vietnam, as a gunner in the Air Force, where he completed 184 missions on a gunship for a military group known as Spectre. He grew up in Grand Rapids but has lived in Lowell with his wife, Pat, for over 30 years.
You can contact Herm Weststrate at 616-299-3619, if you would like to donate or know someone who would like to help.
