Redcliff Legion struggles to recover from misappropriated funds

By Samantha Johnson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter on December 8, 2022.

The Redcliff Legion is in financial trouble and has put out a plea to members of the community to save this long-running local institution.

President Michael Lee Sanders has developed a slogan called Save the Legion for $1. If everyone in the regional community donated $1 to the cause, it could raise enough funds to save it.

Sanders took over on the executive last year and noticed finances were not in order. He eventually requested a full financial audit, which resulted in the RCMP being called. The investigation is still ongoing but around $64,000 was misappropriated.

“We’ve spent the last year fighting tooth and nail to keep the doors open and doing all the fundraising we can,” said Sanders. “We are managing to stay afloat but with the age of the building, we are needing to pay off debts.”

After 96 years of operation, the executive is hoping to make it to their 100th anniversary.

“Not just for the milestone but because the Legion is needed for veterans, not just the current ones, but for soldiers who are still serving.”

They provide services to many clubs in the area, such as Meliora Service Dogs, which uses the Legion free of charge to train service dogs, benefiting veterans along with other locals who have PTSD.

A GoFundMe page has been created and a long serving member and veteran has offered to match $20,000 of money raised (https://www.gofundme.com/f/cmt78-save-our-legion).

Tickets are now on sale for a New Year’s Eve gala fundraiser that will include a fun casino. The Legion is looking at bringing in as many bands as possible for the event. Sanders said most of the money the Legion makes is through events they have.

The Legion is at the heart of the Redcliff community and Sanders is asking for a single dollar from everyone to help save it.

“We support not only veterans but are also a place for families to come. Without the support of the community, we could be losing an institution that is there to support our future and existing veterans.”

The Legion is hoping to raise $60,000 by the beginning of the financial year in April 2023.