Start your belt sanders! Marble Falls VFW celebrates going smokeless with unique races

DANIEL CLIFTON • PICAYUNE EDITOR

MARBLE FALLS — Whether it’s a sign of the times or just a needed change, the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10376 recently went smokeless.

And they want to celebrate by racing belt sanders.

“The bingo hall has been smokeless for about a year now, but we decided to go ahead and make the entire building smokeless now,” said Lloyd Crippen of the post. “The way things are changing, the entire state will probably be smokeless in the future, so it was time for this. Plus, a lot of us are getting up in age and the smoke bothers us.”

But the post didn’t just go smokeless, the members gave it a complete overhaul.

Crippen said they’ve painted the canteen, sealed the walls and redid as much as they could.

Veterans who still enjoy a cigarette or cigar can still do so but are asked to step out onto the deck.

Going smokeless isn’t the only big news for the 300-plus member post. Because of some changes in state law, the VFW can now accept members who aren’t veterans. They simply have sign up as members of the post’s new Patriot Club.

“All you have to do is come in and fill out an application — that’s about it,” Crippen said. “And it’s free.”

With so many changes, one would think it deserves a party. Well the post is throwing one Oct. 17-18 as a “grand re-opening.”

“We’ve got a lot happening those two days, so everybody’s invited to come out,” Crippen said.

On Oct. 17, the Bluebonnet Chorale will perform a selection of patriotic songs at 2:30 p.m. with the official grand re-opening ribbon cutting at 3 p.m.

“Then, on Saturday, we’re holding what we believe is the area’s first belt-sander drag race,” Crippen said.

And, he was serious. Well, he laughed a bit when he described it.

“It’s just what it sounds like,” he explained. “We’ll build a track — with a running part 30 feet long — and then people will ‘race’ their belt sanders down it.”

Believe it or not, there’s an actual sanctioning body: the International Belt Sander Drag Race Association. This event, however, isn’t sanctioned, but it sounds rather fun. It’s at least worthy of stopping by about 2 p.m. Oct. 18 to check out.

“Our’s is a stock race,” Crippen added. Which means the competing belt sanders are off the shelf with no modifications. “We’ll race two at a time, side by side.”

Along with the belt-sander drag racing, people can enjoy plenty of live music and fun.

VFW Post 10376 is located at 1001 Veterans Drive off RR 1431.

The VFW is a nonprofit that raises money to support veterans and their families. Crippen said some of the things the post and other posts assist with include rent assistance, utility assistance and transportation to and from veteran clinics and doctor appointments.

“Pretty much whatever their or their families need, we’ll help them with,” he said.

Go to vfw10376.com for more information on VFW Post 10376 or www.vfw.org for more information on the VFW in general.

daniel@thepicayune.com