T-L Photo/JOSIE BURKHART Veterans with American Legion Post 312 in Belmont are ready to raise funds for the post this year with the annual spaghetti dinner fundraiser on Sunday. Shown from left are Terry Puperi, Johnny Waugh, Andy Wildman, Ed Gorence, Loren Fraelich, Steve Bobot and Kurt Turner.

BELMONT — Hungry people can enjoy spaghetti with homemade sauce at the annual fundraiser for American Legion Post 312 in Belmont on Sunday.

The post will be having its annual spaghetti dinner from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Belmont Gym, 209 Brown St., to help the legion post remain financially stable.

Commander Terry Puperi said the legion has something unique to offer this year, with the food truck So Nuts for Donuts offering its goods outside the venue. The doughnuts will be available at the dinner but also available for purchase afterward.

Puperi said this dinner helps the legion raise funds to keep it going for the next year. Members complete projects such as putting out flags for veterans in six different cemeteries around the area, which amounts to almost 300 flags. Puperi added that the flags are not cheap, and the fundraiser helps raise money to purchase them.

Puperi expressed gratitude to the community, saying it is very gracious to the veterans.

“People have been very, very supportive,” he said. “We have a lot of people coming in, not only from the village here in Belmont but we have people coming from St. Clairsville and Flushing and Morristown and the surrounding areas.”

Puperi is hoping the fundraiser will have patronage like the dinners have had in the past. The legion will also be having a 50/50 drawing with an auction. Local businesses and people, such as Wheeling Island Hotel-Racetrack-Casino, WesBanco Arena and Sno-Biz in Bellaire, have donated items. Puperi said there are a lot of really nice items to raffle off this year.

The Tri-State Military Veterans Museum is housed at the Belmont American Legion post, so if the legion doesn’t have enough money to maintain its building, the museum would not be able to continue.

“If we go bottoms up financially, then we have to turn our post, the property and everything over to the state American Legion headquarters,” Purperi said. “And that means that the museum would not be there, or they would have to find another place to house their relics.”

Purperi said the museum is important to the whole Ohio Valley because it’s a Tri-State Military Museum, and a lot of people come into the village to visit the museum. He noted that the museum has people from all over the country coming in when they stop on their way through when traveling.

He said a lot of motorcycle groups make their way to the museum in Belmont County.

“They come and stop at our museum, and they just stand there and stay there for a couple hours, and it’s a testament to what the museum is,” Purperi said. “If you’ve never been there, it’s worth going to see, even if you don’t like the military. It’s the history they have – everything from the Civil War all the way up between War on Terror. Something from every era.”

Purperi said the legion does not have a canteen or a liquor license. It does not serve food at the post and gets no money from its membership dues because they go to the state, so the only way they raise money is through the fundraiser.

“The only money we get is from our fundraiser here and any donations that happen when people happen to come by the Legion to give a donation. But that doesn’t happen very often, so this is very critical to us staying financially solvent.”