American Legion Department of Illinois helps out damaged Ridgway Legion Post
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[The Ridgway American Legion suffered damage to the roof of the northernmost of its three buildings in the Feb. 29 tornado.
Officials from the American Legion Department of Illinois, arrived Wednesday with a $5,000 check to aid the post as it repairs the damage.
Department of Illinois Commander Dave Hicks, Department Vice-Commander Wayne Wagner and Chairman of the American Legion Riders and Assistant Medical Officer for the Department Roy Smith presented the check to Ridgway American Legion Commander Dave Fromme and member Robert J. McGuire.
Hicks was on his way back home to central Illinois from Washington, D.C., when the tornado hit. He was on the phone with other members of the American Legion Department of Illinois forming a relief team, he said.
"I'm glad we could help out a little bit," Hicks said.
The American Legion has a national emergency fund it taps for disasters that provides $5,000 to American Legion Posts that receive damage and $1,500 to members whose dues are paid up.
"That's money they can use in the interim until the insurance kicks in," Wagner said.
The tornado took the roof off the northernmost building rented out as a reception hall. It broke trusses and the legion has not heard from the insurance company.
One scheduled wedding reception had to be canceled.
"We had to shut down our Friday fish fries," Fromme said.
The Legion is still open in the newest part of the post that did not appear to have been seriously damaged.