Welcome to Kenmare

Feature Stories (Vol. 109 No. 12--3/21/2007)

Kenmare Veterans Club tops $1 million in charitable donations

By Caroline Downs

The little things add up over time.

For Veterans Club, Inc. in Kenmare, those little things have been the dollars spent at pull-tab machines licensed by the state of North Dakota for charitable gaming and located in area bars. Since 1992, pull-tab revenue donations made to organizations in Kenmare have reached a million dollars.

In fact, as of December 31, 2006, donations in Kenmare totalled $1,000,341, with more requests approved since then.

"I didn’t figure it would be in the amounts that it has," said Stan Freeman, vice-president of Veterans Club, Inc. "It was our intent to make the donations when we started, but it just got way bigger than we thought it was going to."

Pull-tab machines
proved popular
According to Freeman, the Kenmare VFW and American Legion ran the old jar pull-tabs together after the state started allowing charitable gaming. Then the former Legion Club, along U.S. Highway 52, was destroyed in a fire. The group, known locally as Vets Gaming, decided to borrow money to invest in the new pull-tab machines that had appeared on the market and to approach bars and lounges in the area about hosting the gaming operations.

The plan proved successful. Today, Veterans Club, Inc. employees 12 people who operate the gaming activities, including blackjack and bingo. They also service the pull-tab machines in eight communities, including Columbus, Lignite, Northgate, Palermo, Powers Lake, Ross and Stanley, along with Kenmare.

"Eighty percent of their revenue goes back into those communities," explained Jamie Livingston, bookkeeper for Veterans Club, Inc. "Kenmare gets twenty percent."

When all the numbers are considered, the donation amount almost doubles, with the other seven communities receiving $928,236 for donations and the grand total in contributions made, including Kenmare, standing at $1,928,577.

Yearly donations in Kenmare have ranged from a low of $53,390 in 2001 to a high of $118,207 in 1993. The average annual donation total is $128,571.80 for all the communities, with more than $100,000 given in 12 different years, and an average of $66,689.40 just for Kenmare.

"We started keeping track in 1992," Freeman said. "Before that, [the donation fund] was really small."

Casinos haven’t hurt
Even as other gambling activities have been approved in the state, charitable gaming operations retain their appeal. Livingston noted a relatively minor impact from the new North Dakota Lottery. "I was surprised the casinos haven’t hurt us," Freeman added.

The communities associated with Veterans Club, Inc. have remained loyal in their participation. "They’ve been longtime members," said Livingston. "They rely on Becky Nelson and Lyle Helmers to service their machines any time they need repairs. And we pay the donation proceeds back to those communities in a timely fashion."

Veterans Club, Inc. also takes in revenue from bingo games, raffles, calcuttas and poker tournaments sponsored by organizations in Kenmare, with a practice of returning more than they receive. "Not only do they give back the amount the North Dakota Attorney General requires," Livingston said, "but some of [the groups’] operating money has been donated, too."

Donations large and small
Both Freeman and Livingston are pleased to see a variety of local organizations benefit from the program. All non-profit organizations are eligible to request the gaming funds. "We fund anything from soup to nuts," Freeman said. "We donate off the requests we get."

Those donations have supported small projects in town like the Read Across America and summer reading program activities hosted by the Kenmare Branch Library and sports uniforms for all ages of teams, to major efforts such as the new armed services monument in the city park. "And we’ve committed $20,000 so far to the new Fire Hall," Freeman said.

He and Livingston continued with a rapid-fire list of other organizations and events that tap the Vets Gaming account: the City of Kenmare, the Kenmare Association of Commerce, Greenwing Day, the handicapped fishing day at Lake Darling, the Park Board for maintenance of Centennial Park, First District Health Unit, the Recreation Commission, the summer youth baseball program, GooseFest, Kenmare Food Pantry, and Lakeview Art Club, to name a few.

Money spread around with
50 to 60 requests per year
"There are probably 50 to 60 requests reviewed per year," said Livingston, "or five to six per meeting."

Interested groups can contact Livingston at the State Bank & Trust of Kenmare to request an application for the funds. "Then the board decides," Freeman said.

Current officers of Veterans Club, Inc. include Walt Weaver as president, Freeman as vice-president, Larry Nore as secretary and Duane Dockter as gaming manager. Jason Kerner, Marv Lindquist and Jerry Munch also serve as board members. The organization now has an office on 2nd Street, next to Johnson Tax Service.

After reaching the million dollar milestone for local donations, it’s business as usual for Vets Gaming as the fund continues to grow and donations continue to be given throughout Kenmare.

"I like that it’s not just one organization that gets the benefit of our donation," Livingston said. "Veterans Club, Inc. takes care of any non-profit in town, so the money really gets spread around."