Reading rod and gun club splits $1 million donation between 2 charities

Aug. 2—Decades of doing its own groundskeeping and maintenance work and selling cheap draft beers has allowed the Northend Rod and Gun Club in Reading to save up quite a bit of money, which this week it put to good use.

The private club on Fairmount Avenue on Tuesday donated $500,000 each to two charities it supports — the Wounded Warrior Project and St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital.

That $1 million was saved and invested over many years, said Tim Sherman, an officer in the club for 52 years and president for the last 33.

The club was already making about $15,000 in charitable donations annually — including to Wounded Warrior and St. Jude's — but the board recently decided it wanted to do something even bigger with its savings, and agreed to split the money between those two nonprofit groups.

Sherman said selecting charities that do such important work for veterans and children was an easy choice.

"We believe in taking care of our veterans and trying to eliminate childhood cancer," said Sherman, 72, of Alsace Township.

He credited the hard work of Northend club members who have plowed snow, cut grass and repaired the building for so long and allowed it to save so much money.

Keith Mock, director of on-premise sales for Origlio Beverage in Reading, has the club among his customers and helped coordinate the gifts.

"I see the hard work that the board puts in," he said, "and it's great to see how they give back, too."

Wounded Warrior Project serves the nation's wounded post-Sept. 11 veterans and their families with programs and services in mental and brain health, financial wellness, physical health and wellness, long-term rehabilitative care, and policy advocacy.

More than 71 people a day register for its free programs and services, and it provides life-changing assistance to more than 230,000 veterans and their families, said spokeswoman Gracie Scribner.

Still, the group estimates another 1.6 million need its support.

The organization is still working with the Northend club to determine exactly how the money will be used, Scribner said.

"However, this support allows Wounded Warrior Project to continue to honor and empower wounded warriors and their families," she said.

It's unusual for the organization to receive a gift that big from a single donor other than a large corporation, she said.

"That money will go a long way," she said.

Donations to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital are used to fund research and cover the cost of lifesaving treatment and patient care, said hospital spokesman Kevin O'Brien.

The money will support daily operations at St. Jude, where no family ever receives a bill for treatment, travel, housing or food so they can focus on helping their child live, he said.

"We're deeply grateful for the support and commitment of our donors who are helping St. Jude realize the goals of its six-year, $12.9 billion strategic plan that focuses on accelerating research and lifesaving treatments to raise survival rates and improve the quality of life for childhood cancer survivors," he said.

"We are grateful that people from all walks of life, faiths and backgrounds support our fight against childhood cancer," he said. "Our supporters are united around one mission and cause: leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer.

"Every donation helps, and we are deeply grateful for the continued support of the Northend club, Tim, and their members. This was an amazingly generous gift and was a continuation of their long history of support."