FOP Lodge 62 holds dinner and fundraiser

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

It was a sellout event and by all accounts, it was a very successful night.

Van Wert FOP (Fraternal Order of Police) Lodge 62 held its annual police community dinner and auction fundraiser at Willow Bend Country Club last Saturday. 175 tickets were available and all 175 were sold. The night featured wine, beer and bourbon tasting, a buffet meal, silent and live auctions for an assortment of items, along with various drawings and raffles. A special drawing was held to honor active and retired military members, plus a separate special drawing for active and retired law enforcement personnel.

According to Van Wert Police Department Lt. Steven Boroff, who serves as an FOP Chapter 62 trustee, preliminary figures show this year’s event raised just over $22,000 through the auctions and raffles. He also said it was a bit different than previous years.

“We decided we were going to move it in a different direction and try to make it more family-oriented and try to get the associate members there and open it up to the general public,” Boroff explained.

Boroff also praised the staff at Willow Bend for making the night a big success, dozens of businesses and individuals that made donations, along with the members and spouses who volunteered their time to coordinate and work the event. He also noted that funds raised from that night will be distributed to various charities and organizations.

“We decide on this during our monthly board meetings,” Boroff said. “The president, vice-president, trustees and the rest of the officers meet once a month to discuss plans for future events, how we want to donate the money, what’s going on the community that we can donate money toward.”

He cited the Van Wert 4H Club’s annual light show at the fairgrounds and the Van Wert County Sheriff’s Office’s “Christmas With Kids” program as just a couple of examples for previous donations.

Like many organizations, businesses and families, COVID-19 hit Lodge 62 hard.

“Membership started to decline and we couldn’t get out and get things done, so we want to make the F.O.P. Lodge 62 here in Van Wert an organization that’s thought of when charitable events are going on and when things are going on in the community,” Boroff said.

A membership drive began last summer and Boroff said the organization has taken on a lot of members, including returning members.

The Fraternal Order of Police is an organization made up of active and retired law enforcement officers, sheriff’s deputies, probation officers, judges and prosecutors. The organization also has associate members who are voted on by FOP members and they include local business owners, spouses or family members of the FOP and others. Anyone can apply to be an associate member if they’re not active law enforcement personnel.

“They can reach out to me or any of our members or associate members to get membership paperwork, or they can check out Facebook page (Van Wert FOP Lodge 62) for contact information or to leave a message.”