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November 23, 2009

VFW to host holiday meal

Group aims to help fellow vets and their families

By Carol South

TRAVERSE CITY -- A force multiplier: the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2780 and Forgotten Eagles of Michigan Chapter 6 are jointly throwing a Thanksgiving feast targeting veterans and their families. Volunteers numbering 40 and counting are pitching in from a host of area veterans organizations to make it a success.

The inaugural holiday gathering will be serving from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day at the Cherryland Post in Traverse City. All veterans are welcome to attend the free dinner, which features a complete traditional Thanksgiving menu enhanced with duck, venison roast and salmon.

By encouraging camaraderie among veterans, the endeavor is meant to combat loneliness or isolation.

"This year it's for any vet and family member who doesn't have plans for the holidays," said Michael Dickinson, sergeant at arms for the Forgotten Eagles chapter and assistant service officer with the VFW.

Preparing for anything, organizers are planning to feed between 250-400 attendees. This is a far cry from last year's modest event where the VFW informally hosted just 16 attendees. That year, the VFW post also delivered food baskets containing a full Thanksgiving meal to 10 veterans.

This year, everyone attending the 2009 Thanksgiving feast will go home with a "significant" food gift package. All veterans or family members are welcome to attend, no matter where they live or when they served.

This year, the partnership already forged between the VFW and Forgotten Eagles running a food bank -- offering game, not canned goods -- sparked the idea. As the holiday nears, the idea has been gathering steam.

"It's grown beyond belief and the amount of volunteers and the donations are far above expectations I would have had," said Jack Pickard, a devoted volunteer for veterans causes and service officer for the VFW post and local DAV chapter. "I thought maybe we'd do a dinner for 30 people. It's getting bigger every day."

Thanks to the local Disabled American Veterans chapter, a van will be available to transport those who cannot drive to and from the event. Volunteers are drawn from that organization, the VFW, Forgotten Eagles as well as the American Military League, American Legion and Patriot Guard Riders. Crews will work in shifts for an event whose organization mirrors a tightly-organized military campaign.

The VFW, Forgotten Eagles and VFW Ladies Auxiliary also have donated money to help underwrite the dinner. Food donations from Marvin's Gardens, Food Rescue of Northwest Michigan and Walmart/Sam's Club have helped create the robust menu.

"As far as the food goes, we have literally had to buy nothing," said Dickinson, noting that leftovers will be donated to help feed the homeless. "I've had 26 turkeys (donated.) We haven't asked, this is just people saying they wanted to come in and help, they heard it was for veterans."

For more information or if a veteran or family member needs a ride, call Pickard at 499-4665 or Dickinson at 360-5596. The Cherryland VFW Post 2780 is located at 3400 Veterans Drive in Traverse City; 946-7317.

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