LCRA PRESENTS GRANT TO LOCAL AMERICAN LEGION POST
The American Legion Buddy Wright Post No. 48 in Brenham has received a $24,500 community development grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority and the City of Brenham.
When the post installed its current heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, LBJ was president and the Beatles topped the charts. Now, some 54 years later, the Post will replace that HVAC system, thanks to the grant.
The grant, along with almost $20,000 in local contributions, will allow the Buddy Wright Post to remove and safely dispose of the old condensing units; upgrade electrical components and ductwork; and install a new HVAC system with Energy Star-certified equipment.
Kenneth Mueller, financial officer of the Post says the hall is used every week of the year for American Legion and other community events. Mueller says the “54-year-old HVAC system was state-of-the-art back then and has served the post well, but it’s inefficient now and just isn’t keeping up.”
Mueller says the cost of frequent maintenance and energy inefficiency of the system is limiting the post’s ability to continue to serve the community, especially during our long, hot, Texas summers.
In addition to hosting American Legion chapter activities, the facility serves as a polling site during city, county, state and federal elections. It’s also available for family reunions, weddings and community events such as Brenham Maifest and other area festivals. The building also serves as a disaster shelter.
The community grant is one of a number of grants recently awarded through LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program. The program provides economic development and community assistance grants to cities, counties, volunteer fire departments, regional development councils and other nonprofit organizations in LCRA’s wholesale electric and water service areas. The City of Brenham is one of LCRA’s wholesale electric customers and a partner in the grant program. The program is part of LCRA’s effort to give back to the communities it serves.
Applications for the next round of grants will be accepted July 1-31. More information is available at lcra.org/cdpp.