NEW LOCATION … Now located at 300 E. Curtis Street, the Stryker American Legion is fully operating and ready to have their first monthly meeting. (PHOTO BY LINDSAY PHILLIPS, STAFF)
By: Lindsay Phillips
Established in August of 1919, Post 60, also known as the Stryker American Legion, has been operating for just over one hundred and three years. Stryker’s American Legion originally started above an old store downtown Stryker, called J.R. Hoffman Shoe Store.
The main functions of the post include, but are not limited to: Doing Honor Guard for funerals, Veterans Day programs and Memorial Day Ceremonies.
Stryker Legion was located for many years downtown, just north from the post office, below The Loft, Youth for Christ Church. The area was eight thousand square foot and quite spacious.
For a group of only fifty members, with less active members, this was unnecessary. During an interview with Stryker American Legion Commander, Rick Wityk, shared, “You had eight thousand square feet and fifty members, and we weren’t able to do anything, so you couldn’t have any income because you couldn’t draw in people for events, so it just became a burden to us with only fifty members, so we decided to sell it.”
Mr. Wityk has been Commander for about twenty-five years. With the sale of the previous building, it was made possible to relocate to a building fit for the group.
Wityk also added, “It’s a church now, and Youth for Christ is still upstairs, so that’s a good thing, so it’s been good for the community.”
A building previously known as Saneholz-McKarns, which was a maintenance shop, located at 300 Curtis Street, Stryker, Ohio, is now the home of Stryker American Legion.
The new location was bought in April, and has just enough space for Post 60’s members. With a bit of cleaning up, maintenance work and customizing it to their needs, the new Stryker American Legion is up and running.
Wityk stated, “Considering the size of our membership, the building is just perfect, it’s a great location and we see a lot of potential in this building and property.”
Unlike the previous location, the new one will be members only, and not open to the public.
For some time now, Veterans groups have struggled to attract younger members. This is no different for our Veterans programs and groups around and throughout Fulton and Williams counties, including Stryker Post 60.
Commander Wityk stated, “It’s hard to get the young guys to come in, it really is.” Wityk added, “We are always looking for new members.”
If you or anyone you know is interested in joining the Stryker American Legion, Post 60, please contact Rick Wityk at (419)-682-2332.
Lindsay can be reached at publisher@thevillagereporter.com