By MATT PIKE
St. Joseph Post
An annual fan drive at Westlake Ace Hardware in St. Joseph helped donate 62 fans for the Salvation Army to provide to people without air conditioning.
The fan drive at the St. Joseph store raised $1,020.47 in customer donations during the fan drive this year. All donations were made by rounding up a purchase at checkout or donations through the website.
Salvation Army Social Services Director Emily Bravo is thankful for the partnership with Westlake, but also to the community who donates
“We have a lot of families in St. Joseph that can’t afford air conditioning, let alone a fan,” Bravo tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “So, if we can get at least one fan in that home, that will keep everybody safer, cooler, and hopefully we can continue this partnership for years to come.”
Bravo says there is a massive need for fans in this area, and the fans that are donated from the drive, go fast
“We always feel bad whenever we’ve given that last fan out and the next person calls, and we have to tell them I’m sorry we don’t have anymore,” Bravo says. “But hopefully we get a majority of the people who need them out.”
As a company, Westlake announced it raised $93,000 during the 2025 Fan Drive, pushing the total raised over the years to $ million with 75,000 fans donated.
While the box fan drive is over, community members can still help and even donate a box fan to the Salvation Army, by contacting the agency or going to their offices at 602 Messaine Street.
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