Apex resident Mike Sayers, American Legion Post 124 District Post Commander, was awarded the N.C. State District Post Commander of the Year award.

Sayers took command of Post 124 in 2009, and under his direction the group has grown from a handful of people to almost 60 members. He aims to involve the community in the post's goals to help young people earn scholarships and skills they can use in their careers.

A member of the American Legion for almost 20 years, Sayers spent six years in the Navy, stationed both in Naples, Italy, and on board an aircraft carrier. Now in his retirement, he continues to honor the armed forces who defend the country.

Q: What were your goals when you took over command of Post 124 in 2009?

A: This post had dwindled down to four or five members, and they wanted to close its doors. Quitting is not in my vocabulary. I've worked hard over the past two years to increase the membership, and we now have almost 60 people. We're always looking for people to be Legionnaires; we would like to see this post grow to 150 to 200 people. I think it can be done.

Q: What are some of the things you have accomplished?

A: We are financially supporting the Apex American Legion Baseball Team. We are sending boys to Boys State (a summer leadership program that allows boys to learn about and participate in government), and last year one received a $1,000 scholarship from the state, then a $1,100 scholarship from nationals.

We sent four boys to the Student Trooper Program, and one was invited back to be a counselor. It is amazing to see the changes in them after one week of training.

We are setting up our oratorical program where students speak about the Constitution. We're trying to recruit participants now. At both the state and national levels, there are wonderful scholarships available.

Q: And you started a bell ringing ceremony on the first Saturday of every month, to honor those who gave their lives to defend our country?

A: We're the only post that does that; it's something we decided was important. We started it back in July 2010.

There are so many young people today who have no idea what the cost of freedom is. It's mind-boggling. I want to communicate that to others in our community. I hope that by keeping the American Legion in front of the public here in Apex, I can educate people about what we do and why it's important.