Upcoming Events
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Annual ALR Chapter Report – now online!
Finally, the Annual ALR Chapter Report is online and ready for ALR Chapter Directors to complete. No more hassles with printing the form, filling it out, mailing it, etc.
This information is vital for Department ALR Chairman Barry Maples in reporting to the American Legion of ALR activities and contributions across the state. Please complete the form as soon as possible, so that the information can be tabulated and formatted for presenting to the American Legion at Mid-Winter Forum and Department Convention.
Click here to fill out the form. (It literally takes 5 minutes!!!)
Please note that only Chapter Directors (or whoever they assign) should complete the report.
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6 Nov 2026 – Flagline for Mike and Barbara Schmidt
From Kansas ALR Area Director Bob Deister:
Riders,
Our presence has been requested by the daughter of Mike & Barbara Schmidt to attend their Celebration of life.
Mike and Barbara passed together in a tragic motorcycle accident near Caney KS on October 23,2026.
Mike and Barbara were active members of Pratt Post 86 Legion Family and the Pratt ALR.
The Celebration of Life will be held on Friday, November 6, 2026, at 1400 (2:00 PM) at Livingston Funeral Home, 1830 North Main, Kingman KS.
I will have flags available for standing of the Flag Line. Please try to arrive by 1330 (1:30 PM) to flag line the entrance into the funeral home.
You are welcome to ride bikes or come by cage. There will not be an escort following the ceremony as a private family burial service will be at a later date.
There is a visitation prior to the service beginning at 1200 (12 Noon) and continuing up the 2 PM Service.
Please reach out if you have any questions.
BARBARA JEAN SCHMIDT Obituary: https://www.livingstonfh.com/obituaries/barbara-schmidt
MICHAEL L. SCHMIDT Obituary: https://www.livingstonfh.com/obituaries/michael-schmidt
Bob Deister “Ribbons”
Kansas ALR Area Director
(620) 727-7642
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14 Nov 2026 – Topeka, KS – Veterans Strategy Summit
All American Legion Family members are encouraged to attend!
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15 Nov 2026 – ALR 39 Abilene – Toy Run
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21 Nov 2026 – Big Red One Turkey Run – It’s On!!!
The Turkey Run is a go! After a number of conversations with the Chaplains and CSMs on Post, the details have been worked out.
When: Sat 21 Nov 2026
Setup time: 0800
Families arrive: 1100-1400
Clean up: 1400-1600
Where: Fort Riley Conference Center, 446 Seitz Dr ( also 459 Godfrey Ave), Fort Riley
Post access: Visitors requiring a pass for access to Fort Riley can now apply for passes online. The online pass application is available at: HTTPS://PASS.AIE.ARMY.MIL. The online pass process can only be utilized by personnel who are US citizens, have a valid state issued REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or Identification card, and have a mobile phone.
After vetting, visitors will be sent a text informing them if their visit has been approved or denied. Approved visitors with a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or identification card may proceed to any of Fort Riley’s access control points to be scanned for access. Passes will NOT be sent via email to the visitor.
Passes may be requested no more than 30 days in advance and are only valid for the purpose of the visit (not to exceed a maximum of 7 days). Online pass applications are only processed during Visitor Control Center operating hours. It is recommended that visitors submit pass applications 24 hours in advance of their planned visit.*
Here are the food donations and what element of the Kansas American Legion Family is providing them:
Here is the QR code to access the Post access website referenced above:
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22/23 Nov 2026 – American Legion Family 22 A Day Vigil
On November 22 and 23, members of the American Legion Family across Kansas will come together for a solemn 22-hour vigil designed to bring attention to one of the most serious challenges facing America’s veteran community — suicide.
The 22-Hour Vigil will begin at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 22, 2026, and continue until 12:00 p.m. (noon) on Monday, November 23.
During the vigil, members of the Kansas American Legion Family will stand watch in 22-minute increments over a flag-draped casket, symbolizing the veterans who are lost to suicide and the need for their fellow veterans, families and communities to stand watch over one another.
The number 22 is significant. For years, estimates of veteran suicide have commonly been represented by the figure of 22 deaths a day, although current estimates vary. The American Legion emphasizes that regardless of the exact number, one veteran lost to suicide is one too many.
The vigil is more than a remembrance. It is a call to action.
The event is being held to promote The American Legion’s “Be the One” initiative, a national effort to reduce veteran and servicemember suicide by encouraging people to recognize when someone may be struggling, reach out, listen and help connect them with support.
“Be the One” reminds us that saving a life does not always require special training or knowing exactly what to say. Sometimes it begins with simply asking a veteran, “Are you OK?”
The American Legion encourages its members and the public to Be the One to act, to call, to listen and to reach out when a veteran is struggling. The initiative is built around ending the stigma surrounding mental health treatment and empowering Legion Family members, veterans, military families and members of the community to take action.
A Family Standing Together
The 22-Hour Vigil is intended to involve the entire American Legion Family of Kansas — The American Legion, American Legion Auxiliary, Sons of The American Legion, The American Legion Riders, First Responders as well as members of the community.
Members will take their places beside the casket in 22-minute shifts, ensuring that the vigil continues without interruption for the full 22 hours.
Each person who stands watch will represent more than a number.
They will represent a veteran who served.
A family who misses someone.
A friend who wishes they had known what to say.
And the countless veterans who are struggling today and need someone to notice, listen and care.
The quiet hours of the vigil are particularly significant. While much of the community sleeps, members of the Legion Family will remain standing watch — a visible reminder that the responsibility to look after our veterans does not end when the uniform comes off.
Bringing the Conversation Into the Light
Veteran suicide can be difficult to talk about. The Be the One initiative seeks to change that by encouraging open conversations and helping people recognize warning signs and respond appropriately.
The American Legion encourages its members to ask veterans how they are doing, listen when someone needs to talk and reach out when a veteran is struggling. It also provides suicide-prevention training to help Legion Family members become better prepared to respond when someone may be at risk.
The Kansas 22-Hour Vigil is intended to turn those words into action.
Those attending the vigil are encouraged not only to stand watch, but also to learn about Be the One, suicide-prevention resources and ways they can help veterans in their own communities.
The message is simple:
Ask. Listen. Act. Be the One.
More Than 22 Minutes
Each 22-minute shift during the vigil will carry a special meaning.
For those 22 minutes, the person standing watch will be asked to think about the significance of the mission. The goal is not simply to mark time, but to remember why the vigil is taking place.
When one person’s 22-minute shift ends, another person will step forward.
And then another.
And another.
For 22 hours, the Kansas American Legion Family will demonstrate what it means to stand together for those who have served our nation.
The vigil also serves as a reminder that veterans should never have to face their struggles alone.
A conversation can make a difference.
A phone call can make a difference.
A friend who refuses to give up can make a difference.
One person can make a difference.
Be the One.
The American Legion’s Be the One initiative is a national mission to reduce the number of veterans and servicemembers lost to suicide. The organization encourages everyone — veterans, family members, friends, caregivers and community members — to become part of the effort.
The Kansas 22-Hour Vigil will give the American Legion Family an opportunity to remember those who have been lost, honor those who served and, most importantly, reach out to those who are still here.
Because the ultimate goal is not simply to remember the 22.
The goal is to save the next one.
Vigil 22 will be held at 101 West Commercial Street, Lyons Kansas at the Rice County Courthouse. November 22, 2026 at 2:00 PM.
For more information contact: Terry Harris @ 620-910-7998 or Angela Evans @ 719-659-0837
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Please have any information that you would like to have listed in the ALR Calendar of Events, sent to your Area Director, your Director, and the ALR Dept. Chairman.