LCRA, City of Giddings award $25,000 grant for improvements to American Legion Hall

New roof will keep popular meeting site accessible for community events

DEC. 3, 2024

LCRA and City of Giddings representatives present a $25,000 grant to the American Legion York Post 276 to replace the roof on the American Legion Hall. The grant is part of LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program. Pictured, from left to right, are: Joseph B. Fitzgerald, Valarie Malaer, Dennis Baylor, Jr. and Allan Urban, post members; Dennis Baylor, post sergeant-at-arms; Spencer Schneider, city manager; Ryan Marshall, Lee County veterans service officer; Rusty Scholl, post finance officer; Vince Knoefler, post adjutant; Joel Lopez, mayor; Nelson Zoch, post member; Margaret D. “Meg” Voelter, LCRA Board member; Nathan Sewvillo, post member; Brent Bowers, post chaplain, Vern Surman, former post commander; Kate Ramzinski, LCRA Regional Affairs representative; Matthew L. “Matt” Arthur, LCRA Board member; Jackie Handrick, grant writer; and John Cronk, post vice commander.

GIDDINGS, Texas – The American Legion York Post 276 soon will replace the hail-damaged roof on the American Legion Hall, thanks to a $25,000 grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority and the City of Giddings.

The Community Development Partnership Program grant, along with $12,302 in matching funds from the legion, will enable the group to replace the roof on its popular hall so it can continue to host a  variety of community events.

John Cronk, vice commander of the American Legion York Post 276, said the main source of funding comes from facility rentals. The hall hosts events including weddings and receptions, anniversary and birthday parties and civic events such as the annual Veteran’s Day breakfast. It also hosts ceremonies honoring high school juniors who participate in the American Legion-sponsored Girls/Boys State, where students learn the mechanics of government and civic responsibility.

“The hall roof is 40 years old, and it really needed to be replaced,” Cronk said. “It’s an old metal roof that’s rusting, and after the big hailstorm it needed to be patched. We basically had patches on top of patches, so it was time.”

The new roof is the start of what Cronk hopes to be a larger renovation in the future.

“We’d like to make other improvements to brighten up the hall, but the roof was priority No. 1,” Cronk said. “There’s not much sense renovating the interior if the roof is going to leak, so this grant has been a huge relief to us.”

The community grant is one of 37 grants awarded recently through LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program, which helps volunteer fire departments, local governments, emergency responders and nonprofit organizations fund eligible capital improvement projects in LCRA’s wholesale electric, water and transmission service areas. The program is part of LCRA’s effort to give back to the communities it serves. The City of Giddings is one of LCRA’s wholesale electric customers and is a partner in the grant program.

Applications for the next round of grants will be accepted in January 2025. More information is available at lcra.org/cdpp.

About LCRA

The Lower Colorado River Authority serves customers and communities throughout Texas by managing the lower Colorado River; generating and transmitting electric power; providing a clean, reliable water supply; and offering outdoor adventures at more than 40 parks along the Colorado River from the Texas Hill Country to the Gulf Coast. LCRA and its employees are committed to fulfilling our mission to enhance the quality of life of the Texans we serve through water stewardship, energy and community service. LCRA was created by the Texas Legislature in 1934 and receives no state appropriations.

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