KAILUA-KONA — The VFW is back in business.
The post in Kona reopened its doors Monday after more than three months without a home.
Dozens of members and supporters gathered for the official reopening of Lance Corporal Christopher Camero Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 12122, located behind Kona Locksmith store off Kaiwi Street in the Kona Old Industrial Area for a lunchtime celebration for the reopening.
The post shut down after a sewer line on the second floor of the building broke in September, contaminating the space and requiring a drawn out process of procuring bids, selecting a contractor and then replacing walls, floors and commodes. Health and building codes rendered the space unusable for the remainder of the year.
The problem drained nearly the entirety of the chapter’s funds and fundraising without an operational home became difficult.
But as utilities and water bills racked up, members of the local chapter dug into their own pockets to keep the lights on while the nearly 215 VFW and Auxiliary members waited while the building was repaired, and Monday’s spread signified the end of the long three months without a post.