Wicker Park Memorial Fund

10/30/2026

By Disabled American Veterans

10/30/2026

10/15/2026

Our Vet & Friends Coffee Social hosted by the Wicker Park Memorial Fund and Office of the North Township Trustee was an incredible resource to veterans. Veterans came together, shared ideas and initiatives, and offered support and encouragement.

10/15/2026

Wicker Park Memorial Fund is offering disaster assistance for the August 11th storm to veteran or active-duty military homeowners residing in North Township (Hammond, Highland, East Chicago, Munster, Griffith, or Whiting).

Disaster assistance covers damage to the home's weatherhead or fallen trees on the veteran's or active-duty military homeowner's property. Assistance is limited to $500 per type of loss and is distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. Proof of service, a paid receipt for damages paid, and a copy of the homeowners insurance claim or denial letter are required. Completed claim forms can be mailed to the address shown on the bottom of the application or delivered to the North Township Trustee's office at 5947 Hohman Ave., Hammond, IN.

Please print the application below or call Kelly Bridges at (219) 670-0764 for more information on how to apply.

10/02/2026

09/29/2026

We are so grateful to everyone who turned out to support our nation’s veterans by coming together for the 27th Annual Victory for Veterans Memorial Ride. In total we had 1500 bikes with over 2000 riders, which made for a successful day. Beautiful weather made it more enjoyable and thanks to everyone’s cooperation with the law enforcement es**rt, the ride proceeded safely without incident. Many thanks to all the town and city law enforcement departments including, Dyer, Munster, Griffith, Schererville, Lake County Sheriff, Merrillville, Indiana State Police and CNRR police. An additional thank you to the Town of Highland for expediting the road resurfacing on Ridge Road before the ride. It took a lot of dedicated park staff to get Wicker Memorial Park in shape in order for the ride to happen so please give them a thank you when you visit. Every day made the transformation visible due their hard work and it was no easy task. Thank you the Polar Battalion Naval Sea Cadets for being our color guard for the opening ceremony and to Steve Strains for performing taps. We had a special performance by the violin students of Heidi Tuinstra, who did a wonderful job playing the military branch hymns. Our guest speaker, Beau Bayh, offered a message of support and encouragement , finishing up with sending off the ride. Thanks to all the vendors for coming back and adding to our day. We appreciate all of you . We finished out the day with one of the area’s favorite bands, Big City, who kept it rocking after the ride. Lastly, my heartfelt thanks to all the volunteers who worked the various tents and the township staff as well and all of our partners in AVMRA and to our event sponsors, Centier Bank, Strack and Van Til, Manta and Hurst Insurance, Smith and Sercic, Kelly Law Firm, and Langel's and House of Pizza. The Wicker Park Memorial Fund will be using some of the funds raised in addition to the grant money from Legacy Foundation, to help veterans residing in North Township that suffered home damage from the August 11th disaster. If you’d like more information or would like to apply, please contact Kelly Bridges at 219-313-3934 to find out all the details. Monies available will be distributed on a first come first serve basis. See you next year for the 28th Annual.

After the August 11 derecho felled more than 300 trees all over the park and golf course, it looked for a moment that the 27th annual ride wouldn’t be possible. But with the Town of Munster and Little Calumet River Basin Commission…

09/28/2026

THIS SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4, A FALLEN AIRMAN IS COMING HOME.
SSGT Lucas Allen VanderWoude, 24, of Abilene, Texas, formerly of Lansing, Illinois, passed away September 14, 2026 while serving in the United States Air Force.
On Sunday, Lucas will be es**rted by the Patriot Guard from O’Hare airport as he makes his final journey home.
The Indiana portion of the es**rt is expected to begin at approximately 5:30 PM in Hammond at Cabela’s. From there, the procession will travel south on US 41 into Lowell, then east on Route 2 toward Sheets Funeral Home & Cremation Services.
🇺🇸 THIS IS WHEN WE NEED YOU.
We are asking the people of the surrounding communities to come out and LINE THE ROUTE.
Stand along US 41. Stand along Route 2. Bring your American flags. Bring your family. Bring your children.
When you see the procession approaching:
🇺🇸 Stand proudly.
🇺🇸 Wave your American flag.
🇺🇸 Salute Lucas.
🇺🇸 Show his family that their son is coming home to a community that cares.
You don’t have to know Lucas personally.
You don’t have to know his family.
You simply need to understand what it means when a young American gives his life while serving our country.
Let’s make sure the VanderWoude family sees a sea of American flags as Lucas makes his final journey home.
This is our opportunity to surround his family with the support, respect and gratitude they deserve.
LET’S FILL THE STREETS FOR LUCAS. 🇺🇸
VISITATION
Monday, October 5
3:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Sheets Funeral Home & Cremation Services
604 E. Commercial Ave.
Lowell, Indiana
FUNERAL SERVICE
Tuesday, October 6
1:00 PM
Burial will follow at Lowell Memorial Cemetery, where military honors will be conducted.
Please share this post and help spread the word. The more people who know about Sunday’s es**rt, the more American flags we can have along the route.
SSGT Lucas Allen VanderWoude
🇺🇸 His final journey home. Our opportunity to honor him.

Celebrate the life of SSGT Lucas VanderWoude and join others in sharing memories, stories, and condolences.