Program Chairs (back row, left to right) Angie Freedline, Janice Cournoyer, Karen Shaffer, Betty Peer, Dorothy Eberle; (front row, left to right) Stephanie Reynolds and Philomena Herring are planning the December 8 VFW Post Auxiliary 8053 Freedom Festival and Christmas Event.
The Freedom Festival and Christmas Event will be at the Sun Lakes Country Club in the Navajo Room. Events include stations for children to decorate cookies with red, white and blue decorations, two craft stations to make ornaments and light snacks for children and adults. Of course, Santa and Mrs. Claus will join in the festivities. Watch for more information about the Festival in the December Splash.
November 3 the VFW Post and Auxiliary will distribute poppies for “Buddy Poppy Day” at Walmart on Riggs and Pecos, Fry’s on Riggs and McQueen and Alma School and Germann and Ace Hardware at Riggs and Dobson. The donations received by the VFW Posts and their Auxiliaries are restricted to provide for veteran services and welfare. The money VFW units pay for the poppies provides direct compensation to the veterans who assembled the poppies, provides financial assistance in maintaining state and national veterans’ rehabilitation and service programs and partially supports the VFW National Home for orphans and widows of our nation’s veterans. Buddy Poppy proceeds represent no profit to any local VFW Post. All the money contributed by the public is used in the cause of veterans’ welfare or for the wellbeing of their needy dependents and the orphans of veterans.
In October, volunteers from Auxiliary Post 8053 attended training to provide support to the families of the Unit 996 of the Arizona Army National Guard that will deploy to Afghanistan for one year starting March 2019. Our auxiliary has provided support to this unit for two years and during 2019 and 2020 will provide emotional support to the families of the men and women being deployed.
The Phoenix Veterans Day Parade will be presented by Honoring Arizona’s Veterans on Monday, November 12, at 11:00 a.m. Usually the Parade is held on November 11, but out of respect to local church services along the parade route, the day will be celebrated on Monday. The parade starts at Montebello and Central, runs southbound, then turns east on Camelback Road and then turns south on 7th Street and de-stages at Indian School Road. For more information, go to https://www.phoenixveteransdayparade.org.
For information about how to join the Sun Lakes VFW, please contact Janice Cournoyer at [email protected].