Yucaipa American Legion brings ping pong to Ontario USO

By Bob Otto

YUCAIPA - In this tight economy, money for fun and games can be hard to come by. But thanks to a couple of military service clubs in Yucaipa, our men and women in uniform will soon be putting paddle to ball.

On Tuesday, members of the American Legion Post 426 and VFW Post 7347 loaded a $600 ping pong table on the truck of Post 426 Commander, Clyde Kelley.

Once securely tied down, Kelley hauled the table to the USO at the Ontario International Airport. Games For Fun of San Bernardino donated the table to Post 426 for a fundraiser. And the Post held a raffle recently for the table.

Post member Don Scherneck won, but instead of keeping the table for himself, Scherneck asked Kelley to find a worthy organization to donate it to.

And what better organization than the USO (United Service Organizations)?

"Our members voted to give the table to the USO," Kelley said. "Our service men and women need (recreational outlets). This is a quality table."

Since 1941 USO has been the link that has connected the American public with our men and women in uniform. There are over 130 USO locations around the world that offer services such as free Internet and email access, libraries, housing assistance, family crisis counseling, support groups, nursery facilities and recreation rooms.

And now, when our troops and their families fly into Ontario Airport they can stop by the USO and play some ping pong.

"The USO is our troops' home away from home," said Sandi Moreno, USO at Ontario Business Development Director. "Sometimes they are here for as long as 12 hours waiting for a flight. The troops will love the table. It is monumental contribution to us."

For more information on making contributions to the USO contact Sandi Moreno at USO at Ontario.

USO at Ontario

1940 E Moore Way # 1

Ontario, CA 91761