Yankee Trails

01 J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 7 The Villages ® Community yankeetrails.com | 352.633.4643 orn in Brooklyn, NY, and raised in Levittown on Long Island, Tim enjoyed a long and successful career before moving to The Villages. He served as an active duty member of the Air Force, and also spent time with the National Guard along with 30 years as a drug enforcement agent with the DEA. Tim retired in 2007, and he and his wife relocated to Florida in 2009. Tim has been a proud member of the American Legion for 25 years, having joined while stationed in California. Shortly after moving to The Villages, Tim and his wife vis- ited American Legion Veterans Memorial Post 347, and it was ac- tually his wife that insisted he join. "She really liked that this post had a no smoking policy throughout the entire building and lounge," he explained with a smile. "More and more posts these days have been adopting these rules, and it has proven to be a big draw for young- er veterans." American Legion Veterans Me- morial Post 347 currently has 5,200 members, along with 1,000 Auxiliary members and 800 Sons of the American Legion. These massive numbers are both impres- sive and noteworthy. Believe it or not, Post 347 is actually the largest American Legion Post in the world! Tim and his fellow Legionnaires have taken full advantage of their considerable manpower to make a real difference for a number of charitable organizations. In addi- tion to several groups that provide services for veterans, American Le- gion Veterans Memorial Post 347 lists local Little League Baseball and Softball programs, The Villag- es High School wrestling team and the local library among its many philanthropic efforts. "We are open to supporting just about any cause that reaches out to us, and that we vet as a legitimate charity," Tim said proudly. "As a group we donate an average of $75,000 – 100,000 a year." Even with all of these charitable en- deavors, the members of American Legion Veterans Memorial Post 347 still find plenty of time to have fun. There are activities at the post almost every night, including bingo, trivia nights, singles events and a weekly fish fry on Fridays. Once a month, the organization brings in entertainment and hosts a fund- raising event that always attracts enthusiastic attendance from its members. The members of Post 347 also take a large annual trip, and are cur- rently planning a Royal Caribbean Cruise on the Harmony of the Seas with Yankee Trails for next year's vacation. Tickets for the December 2, 2017 cruise are still available for members to purchase. "It really is a pleasure to be involved with such a positive and outgoing group," Tim said. "No one here takes a salary, and our door is always open to new members and volunteers." On behalf of all of us at Yankee Trails World Travel, we'd like to thank Tim and the members of American Legion Veterans Memo- rial Post 347 for their service. We look forward to continuing to get to know you, along with all the other fantastic groups in The Villages. B We at Yankee Trails continue to be amazed by the incredible number of fun, creative clubs and organizations within The Villages community. This month, we had the chance to sit down with Tim Tierney, Commander of American Legion Veterans Memorial Post 347. Club of the Month: American Legion Veterans Memorial Post 347 If you'd like your group to be considered for a future article, contact Mike Rogers at mrogers@yankeetrails.com

• Cover