The American Legion Post 66 in Clinton is hosting a comedy night fundraiser on Saturday, Oct. 12 at 8 p.m. The event is being organized by Legion member Dave Burns.

Post 66 is located at 82 West Main Street in Clinton. Tickets to the event can be purchased online at www.legionpost66.net.

“The show runs about 90 minutes to two hours and is intended for adults. The show is open to everyone, not just Legion members. We want as many people from the community as possible at the event,” Dave explains to the Harbor News.

Attendees are encouraged to bring their own refreshments, and groups of eight can reserve an entire table for the show. Along with the comedy show, Dave is also planning on having prizes which can be won that evening.

The money raised via the event will go toward renovations to the Post 66 hall.

“We want to renovate the hall. It’s a major source of income for us, and it’s a great building, so we want people to use it,” Dave says.

The mission of the fundraiser is to raise $100,000. Dave says the goal is to have sponsors help cover the cost of the night, so that all ticket sales can go toward the renovation.

“We have sponsorships still available, and anyone interested can contact me at 203-589-0468,” Dave says.

The idea for the comedy show took about a year of work to come to fruition.

“The Chamber of Commerce has done a comedy show for a number of years, so I went to it last year and talked to the organizer about what it would take to do one of our own. It was a lot of work to pull off, but to tell you the truth, it was really a lot of fun!” Dave says.

In addition to raising money for the renovations, Dave is also aiming to raise awareness about the Legion.

“It’s a group of veterans of all ages from all branches of the military from the Coast Guard to the Space Force. It’s a place where we can all come together from a common background and be together. We have members in their 20s to their 90s,” Dave explains.

Dave notes that in addition to philanthropic work done by Post 66, the Legion also functions as social outlet for veterans who have no family in the area.

“It’s a great place. We get together and have a lot of fun at our meetings, and we have no requirements that you need to get involved. You can just come and hang out. It’s a great place for fellowship and some real good meals. We have some good cooks here,” Dave says.

Post 66 is always accepting new members. More information, including upcoming events, is available on its website.

Dave was a member of the U.S. Marine Corps and first joined the Legion in the 1970s, although he wasn’t too involved until recommitting to Post 66 about five years ago. For the past three years, Dave has served as its finance officer—a position he’s used to modernize some practices.

“When I started, everything was on paper, and I made everything into spreadsheets online, so that officers can track the finances easy. I also find ways to do more fundraisers and support more causes,” Dave explains.

It’s hardly a new thing for Dave to be volunteering his time. Dave has served on the Inland Wetlands Commission and, for 47 years, he has been a member of the Clinton Volunteer Fire Department. For a time in the 70s and 80s, Dave was the only instructor in the area teaching EMT classes and the refresher courses.

“It’s been a wonderful experience. Even as I’ve gotten older and needed to scale back, I have remained involved with them,” Dave says.

Similar to his position with the Legion, Dave has served as treasurer of the fire department.

“I think volunteering is really important, and I think that it’s really import that you volunteer to what your strengths are,” Dave explains.

With a background in biology, as well as technology, Dave notes that he was well-suited to pitch in to help with a variety of projects over the years.

Dave has since retired, but he’s enjoyed careers as a computer programmer, an IT manager for the Madison Police Department, and in warehousing and trucking. In his spare time, Dave enjoys shooting and fishing, as well as spending time outside with his dog.

Dave grew up in Massachusetts and has lived in Clinton since 1976.

“My wife and I were living in Ellington at the time, but I got a job in Clinton, so we needed to move closer, and we just love it here,” Dave says.

Dave says that he enjoys many aspects of living in Clinton.

“It’s just a great town. The Town Beach is awesome, and I love spending time there,” says Dave. “And I love the Legion. It’s a great place for us to get together and just have some clean fun and camaraderie.”