Members of VFW Post 8053, the Auxiliary and guests celebrated our veterans on March 9 at the annual Poppy Ball. It was a special evening of dinner, door prizes and dancing to the music of Thaddeus Rose. Diane Gordon stands before the beautiful baskets that were raffled.
The Easter Bunny will visit SLCC on Saturday, April 20, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. The Auxiliary Family Freedom Festival is sponsoring activities with the Sun Lakes Country Club Easter Egg Hunt. Watch for flyers and information to get tickets for children to hunt Easter eggs, enjoy various craft opportunities, partake in two raffles plus have snacks and soft drinks. There may be a surprise, too! Last year’s Easter Egg Hunt was fun and resulted in lots of pictures of kids with the Easter Bunny.
April 26, VFW Post 8053 will host the 40th annual Golf Tournament, starting with 8:00 a.m. tee times at Sun Lakes Country Club. Lunch will be served at Mulligans. For more information, call Terry Cox at 605-431-8508. To sign up, call the Sun Lakes Pro Shop, 480-895-9274.
Members of the Auxiliary continually serve the veterans and the community through various events. The AZ Quilt Crew donated 11 quilts and 15 hats to Mana House with a value of $2,275 on behalf of Auxiliary 8053. Donations were made by both the Post and Auxiliary to AANG Unit 996 for events to be provided for families of deployed members. Auxiliary volunteers will continue to provide support to the families throughout the deployment. Donations and Box Tops collected during weekly Bingo at the SLCC every Wednesday help support the National Home for Children and Families.
An ongoing, five-year benefit to the community is our adopted second grade class at Mesa Academy of the Arts. Christa Marshall and other Auxiliary volunteers have served a second-grade class three to four times each year. They provide instruction in flag etiquette, flag folding, provide red shirts emblazoned with “Remember Everyone Deployed” and various other programs. At each visit classroom supplies and treats are provided. The reward to these volunteers is the happy welcome from students saying, “Here come the VFW ladies!”
The Auxiliary will hold nominations for the 2019-2020 officers in April.
April is the Month of the Military Child. This is “An opportunity to recognize military children and youth for their heroism, character, courage, sacrifices and continued resilience.”
Other dates of interest this month: April 5 is Gold Star Wives Day, April 14 is Air Force Reserve Birthday, April 21 is Easter, April 23 is Army Reserve Birthday, April 30 (proposed to be) is National Military Brats Day. Please celebrate all who have served, are serving and our youth who may serve.
For more information about how to join the Sun Lakes Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Auxiliary, please contact Janice Cournoyer at [email protected].