One of my greatest honors as Mayor of Derby is to select an individual or group to receive the annual Mayor’s Award of Excellence. This award was established in 2002 as a way to honor an individual, family, organization, or business that has contributed significantly to the Derby community.

I am proud to announce that the American Legion Family Post 408 is the 2022 recipient. I will present the award to them at the January 25 City Council meeting. Meetings are held at Derby City Hall, 611 Mulberry Rd. at 6:30 p.m. You can watch the meeting live on Cox Cable Channel 7 and live and available on-demand on our website at DerbyKS.com/Channel7. 

The American Legion was chartered and incorporated by Congress in 1919 as a patriotic veterans organization devoted to mutual helpfulness. It is the nation’s largest wartime veterans service organization, committed to mentoring youth and sponsorship of wholesome programs in our communities, advocating patriotism and honor, promoting strong national security, and continued devotion to our fellow service members and veterans.

American Legion Family Post 408 has had a presence in Derby since 1990 when it was chartered with nearly 270 members. Their actions in the community truly reflect the goals of the American Legion. I would like to highlight just a few of their community service projects. 

In 2021, the Legion opened a new post home in Derby at Georgie and Washington (former Derby Schools administration building). The membership has put in approximately 4,500 hours of volunteer labor for the new post home to-date.

The Legion has held food drives and pancake feeds for the Derby Food bank, held pancake feeds for Derby Operation Holiday and Derby BBQ Festival BBQ teams.

The Legion has participated in the Memorial Day ceremony at Hillcrest Cemetery and Veterans Day ceremony at the Garrett Park Walk of Freedom, placed flags at the Hillcrest and El Paso cemeteries, and participated in the 911 ceremony with Derby Fire & Rescue.  

The Legion presents the Firefighter of the Year and Police Officer of the Year awards for the City of Derby. They have assisted with the City’s Drive-Thru Christmas event, provided free swim nights at Rock River Rapids for all USD 260 students and their families, and participated in the Independence Day and Christmas parades. 

We are lucky to have the American Legion family in Derby and can’t thank them enough for their contributions to the community. 

Randy White
Mayor