Legion’s $2,150,000 Spurs Fisher House

Members of Palisades American Legion Post 283 received a round of applause during a dedication ceremony last Friday for having donated $2.15 million toward the newly constructed Fisher House on the Veterans Administration’s property in West L.A. ‘Thank you for what you did; these are the heroes today,’ said City Councilman Bill Rosendahl, while standing behind a podium in front of the Fisher House, located adjacent to the 405 freeway at Sawtelle Boulevard. The two-story, $6-million house will offer families a place to stay for free while their loved ones are hospitalized at the VA. Along with 21 private suites, there’s a communal kitchen, living room and dining room to give families a chance to interact and support one another. ‘Part of the treatment of people is not just those that are sick or injured, but to their families,’ said Zev Yaroslavsky, Los Angeles County supervisor for the 3rd District, during his speech. ‘This is a wonderful thing; you are bringing families together when families are most vulnerable and most need each other.’ In 1990, Zachary and Elizabeth Fisher established the Fisher House Foundation, which has built 43 Fisher Houses on the grounds of military and VA medical centers around the world. Once the houses are constructed, they are given to the U.S government as a gift. The military and VA medical centers are then in charge of maintenance and operation, which is largely provided by volunteers. In 2005, the Fisher House Foundation offered to build a house on the VA Greater L.A. Healthcare System campus, and the West Los Angeles Fisher House Foundation was formed to fundraise. Former Legion Post 283 Commander Louis Cozolino, also a foundation member, said the group was having difficulty raising funds, so in 2007, he approached the executive board of Post 283 about donating $2.15 million. The board unanimously voted in favor of the idea and afterward, ‘we all stood and applauded each other,’ Cozolino said. Post 283 was able to make such a significant contribution because of the buildings it leases to the U.S. Postal Service (15243 La Cruz Dr.) and CVS (864 Swarthmore Ave.). ‘This was a meaningful gift,’ Cozolino told the Palisadian-Post. ‘It was not something that was going to disappear.’ The West L.A. Fisher House Foundation raised a total of nearly $3 million for the house, and the national Fisher House Foundation provided matching funds. The West L.A. Foundation, led by Executive Director Tim Byk, still hopes to raise an additional $500,000 for any remaining construction costs and to start an endowment to help with maintenance and operation. On Friday, Donna Beiter, director of the VA Greater L.A. Healthcare System, thanked Post 283. ‘This Post has donated to us every year and has been a wonderful support for our medical facility,’ she said, adding that the VA is striving to provide a homelike atmosphere for its patients and families. ‘This beautiful house helps us on this journey.’ The West L.A. Foundation now has plans to build a second Fisher House on the West Los Angeles campus. ‘This mission must continue until vets get what they deserve: a system that cares for them; a nation that honors them,’ said Ken Fisher, grandnephew of Zachary Fisher and CEO of the Fisher House Foundation. Other keynote speakers included CNN television host Larry King, Master Sgt. Richard Pittman (recipient of the Medal of Honor) and Thomas Johnson, secretary of California Department of Veterans Affairs. After a ribbon-cutting, the approximate 500 attendees had a chance to tour the house. Scott Erickson, a Post 283 member and West L.A. Foundation board member, said he enjoyed viewing the home after four years of working to get it built. ‘It was tremendously rewarding,’ he said, adding that he looks forward to seeing families use it. To donate to the West L.A. Fisher House Foundation, mail to 11301 Wilshire Blvd. Building 512, Los Angeles, CA 90025. Contact: (310) 440-8400.