American Legion Post 109 in Corona de Tucson shares suicide prevention mission, other Legion efforts at booth during Arizona Bowl.
When offered a free booth at the Dec. 28 Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl in Tucson – an endeavor that normally would cost $25,000 – McCulloch-Wagner American Legion Post 109 didn’t hesitate to accept.
The opportunity not only allowed Post 109 Legion Family members to interact with veterans – and in one case, a future veteran. But it also provided a platform to share the Legion’s Be the One veteran suicide prevention mission.
Post 109 was among dozens of other organizations that were stationed in the bowl game’s Community Village. There, the post shared information about Be the One, the Legion Family and American Legion programs. Pamphlets were available, while flags were displayed. Various challenge coins were handed out. The post also had a banner set up asking any stories from veterans or their family members.
And the booth also gave the post an opportunity to say thanks to some of the game’s attendees.
“(Post 109 Commander Roosevelt McKnight) and myself, and the rest of the (executive board), we’ve adopted Be the One on everything we do,” Post 109 First Vice Commander Brad Adams said. “I ordered a ton of the (Be the One) coins. Our second vice commander, he ordered a bunch of Be the One T-shirts. Everything we do is about being the one. Our commander touches on it almost every day.
“It’s so fitting because we can reach out with a handshake. That’s how we present the coins – with a handshake – and say ‘Be the One to call a veteran and say hey, how are you doing? Be the One for this. Be the one for that.’ It really fits. It really ties into our daily mantra.”
Post 109’s booth was set up in the Community Village with dozens of other nonprofit organizations. All of them would join in the bowl’s Raavoluiton Parade to march from end zone to end zone at the end of the first quarter, carrying their flags and banners during the march.
Members of the post, Sons of The American Legion Squadron 109 and American Legion Riders Chapter 109 manned the booth and were joined by Department of Arizona District 2 Commander Alan Young.
Adams said the booth was a great opportunity to interact with fans and veterans attending the game between Colorado State University and Miami (Ohio). “A reaction from a veteran was, ‘Thanks for being here. Thanks for taking the time. Wow, a lot of work went into this,’” Adams said. “Our commander, he’s a really outgoing individual. He makes everybody feel at home, no matter where they’re from. There’s no red or blue. We treat everybody with equal respect.
“The veterans that came by, and there were many. We even met a couple of Space Force folks who were walking around. We were represented.”
Adams and others at the booth also got a chance to talk with a potential future member. “We had a young lady come by who was in the marching band for (Miami),” Adams said. “Although she is not a veteran, she is in the ROTC program. She was so ecstatic. She took a picture with us. She said to herself, ‘All these booths are here. There must be a veterans organization.’ She sought us out.”
Adams said the bowl game gave the post an opportunity to give back to veterans. “It wasn’t really an opportunity for us to recruit new members. That’s not why we were there,” Adams said. “We were there more to thank veterans that walked by. But we ended up getting three new Legionnaires that day.”
The booth was just one part of Post 109’s effort to change any preconceived notions about The American Legion. “We’re trying to change that,” Adams said. “We’re working with the high schools, we’re working with the JROTC. We’re working with (high school) football teams. One of the pillars is youth. We’re trying to tie everything in.”
- Be the One