PRESCOTT — Many American Legions have faced declining enrollment across the nation. Prescott’s (American Legion Post 61) on the other hand is thriving after the community helped save the building years ago.

After World War II and the Korean War, Legion membership surged because some of the veterans had free time, and this gave them something to do and enjoy. Former Prescott Legion Commander Jerry Klasen said there is such a high demand for volunteerism and an extreme number of options for what people can do with their free time now that Legions have started to lose members. Across the country, Klasen said American Legions are losing 70,000 members a year. This has led to some of the largest and longest-standing Legions closing.

Klasen moved to Prescott about seven years ago and swiftly joined the Legion to meet some of the local people. In the early months, he noticed it was the same handful of people attending each meeting.

When the pandemic struck, the Legion could no longer do the chicken fries, causing a major funding source to be cut off. At that time, talks of selling the building began to swirl as fundraising became difficult without having close contact with people.

Klasen was in favor of preserving the now 106-year-old Legion, knowing many members of the community would be willing to step in to help make a difference.

“It’s a gathering place for locals,” Klasen said. “They come up there, it’s quiet, they talk.”

After receiving advice from his four daughters, Klasen started a GoFundMe to keep the Legion building, raising $25,000. Over 80% of the money raised through the link was raised by individuals rather than organizations and businesses. Many wrote why they donated, sharing “fond memories” of spending time with and around the Legion. They remodeled the building using entirely donated labor. This included new flooring in the main hall, updates to the kitchen, bar and more.

“We needed help and the whole community responded,” Klasen said. “The community wanted us to stay. They saw the importance of having something local.”

He said as much as the community has supported the Legion, he hopes the Legion has given back to the community by being successful. One thing Klasen said is unique about Prescott is half of the volunteers come from the Legion and the other half from the rest of the community when they host chicken fries, attend Prescott Daze and put on other events. The fire department, sportsman club, high school and many more have stepped in to help make a difference.

“More people want to volunteer than we have things for them to do sometimes,” Klasen said. “Which is a wonderful situation.”

Membership with the Legion in Prescott has increased from 74 at the time of the talks to sell now up to 125 people, with the average age of members dropping 15 years. They have brought in a focus on community events including hosting weddings, baby showers, funerals, graduations, birthday parties and class reunions.

“I took on the role of saving it because I believe in tradition and community,” Klasen said. “I like the idea of giving back, and I want to pass on to the younger generation to get involved in the community.”

Klasen recently turned over his role as commander and was met with the honor of lifetime membership.

“In the face of adversity, exceptional leaders emerge to steer the course towards brighter horizons. Jerry Klasen stands as a testament to this truth and embodies the spirit of dedication, community service, and patriotism. Reflecting on his remarkable journey with the American Legion in Prescott, it is evident that Jerry’s leadership has been nothing short of transformative,” a statement from the Legion read.

It was a true honor for Klasen to receive this certificate, but he said he could not have led the charge to save the building without the help of many around him.

There was a list of advice Klasen gave to any organization in need of turning things around and it starts with having the right people involved.

“If there’s any organization that’s struggling, I think first you need somebody that’s committed, you need a champion, and then, you need, especially in its infancy, you need constant communication,” Klasen said. “They need to understand the goals, the benefits and what the next steps are.”

Klasen added that you must allow people who want to help to have a role because it brings more perspectives and adds to the list of people who are completely dedicated.