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After South Carolina Post 41’s HVAC unit was stolen, a new unit was donated and installed free of charge by Bosch and a local business. 

On Sept. 1, David Wilhelm headed to American Legion Post 41 in Loris, S.C., and made a very disappointing discovery. Over the weekend, someone had stolen the post’s five-ton heating and air conditioning unit from outside of the post.

Wilhelm, Post 41’s third vice commander, doesn’t mince words when remembering how the situation made him feel. “I’m retired law enforcement,” he said. “So the first thing I’m thinking is what kind of piece of trash steals from a veterans organization?”

Just purchasing a new HVAC unit capable of heating and cooling the entire post would have set the post back $9,000-$12,000. Throw in labor, and the post was looking at around an $18,000 expenditure – money the post did not have.

That’s what led to starting a GoFundMe page to raise that amount. But once word got out about the theft, things took a turn in the opposite direction. And now, Post 41 has a brand-new top-of-the-line Bosch HVAC system – and didn’t have to spend a dime to get it or have it installed.

Bosch and Myrtle Beach-based Quality Air and Insulation came together to provide the unit and installation. Sal Pinto, owner of Quality Air and Insulation, personally called Wilhelm to tell him the news. And it was a blessing.

Post 41’s only revenue stream is hosting twice-weekly cornhole tournaments. Wilhelm, who is in charge of the post’s maintenance and grounds, knew the post didn’t have the funds to replace the HVAC system.

“To be honest, I cried. I thought it was great,” Wilhelm said of the news. “We’re 30-some miles from Myrtle Beach, and for somebody from Myrtle Beach to reach out was overwhelming.

“We generate enough (income) that we pay all the bills and put some in the bank,” Wilhelm said. “I knew that our account was sitting on about $6,000, and I knew that wouldn’t even come close to (covering the replacement cost).”

Post Adjutant and Finance Officer Kathy Arrant remembers how she felt when Wilhelm called her with the initial bad news. “It was a feeling of being violated. It was almost like when you have something stolen from your home,” she said. “It was a feeling of emptiness and shock. Who does that? It was almost like stealing from a church. It’s a veterans organization.”

Arrant said after news of the theft and fundraising effort, Wilhelm got the critical phone call. “Pinto called Wilhelm and told him he wanted to help,” she said. “David told him that we had a GoFundMe set up. And Sal said to him, ‘No, you don’t understand. I want to donate a system.’ And that’s when the wheels started rolling.”

Pinto was able to get his Bosch representative, Sid Harvey, to donate the unit. Meanwhile, staff from Quality Air and Insulation did the installation at no cost to the post.

But that’s not all. Wilhelm said Pinto also is replacing the post’s air intake system, as well as putting new duct work in a storage room that is being converted into an office and adding an additional duct in the post kitchen. Again, at no cost.

Arrant said after Pinto offered his help, another area HVAC company also reached out to the post to assist. “It just shows the support we have in the community for our post and for our veterans.”

The GoFundMe page immediately was shut down after Pinto’s offer. By that time it had raised more than $4,000. The post also received another $2,700 from local businesses and individuals outside of the GoFundMe donations.

“Our community cornhole players really helped out,” Wilhelm said. “A couple thousand dollars from the GoFundMe page came from our cornhole players.”

The money raised from the donations has been used to ensure a repeat of the theft. The post purchased and has had installed a lockable steel cage to cover the new unit and an outside security system featuring six cameras and a motion detector.

"When we faced a devastating loss, these community leaders stepped up without hesitation to care for our veterans,” Wilhelm said. “We couldn’t be more grateful for their support.”