Community to honor veterans
SANDPOINT — This weekend and early next week are packed with opportunities to show your appreciation for local veterans.
While Veterans Day falls on a Monday this year, there’s still several events over the weekend for residents to attend.
Fans of Bizarre Bazaar have special cause to visit the high end resale shop on Veterans Day. All proceeds generated throughout the day will go toward replacing the Disabled Veterans van. The van currently in use has seen better days due to its extensive use taking veterans to appointments. As a result, the Community Assistance League, which operates Bizarre Bazaar as its primary fundraiser, is stepping up to help the group out.
Veterans are also free to grab complimentary meals from a couple of participating restaurants this year. Stacey’s Country Kitchen owners plan to offer free meals for veterans on Monday. The Sub Shoppe in Kootenai is also offering free lunch for veterans, courtesy Jim and Marti Ashford and Dave and Laurie Wall. The offer is good on Monday and Tuesday from 6:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call 263-0244 with any questions.
For U.S. Marines, special veterans events begin today with a luncheon at Tango Cafe, set for 11:30 a.m. The meal is a celebration of the U.S. Marine Corps, which first went into active service Nov. 10, 1775. The event will likely sell out its seating capacity, so marines interested in attending should call 627-8014 to reserve themselves a spot.
A 1 p.m. Sunday potluck at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Hall, 1325 Pine St., marks the first major event of Veterans Day celebrations, serving as both as a community gathering and an opportunity to distribute local student awards. Home schoolers Jamie Rich and Kelly Rich will accept first and second place awards for their audio essays in the Voice of Democracy essay content. In addition, the Patriot’s Pen award ceremony will also occur, with first place going to Brianna Ells of Sandpoint Middle School, second place to Julia Neuder of Sandpoint Middle School and third-place awards to Sloan Strock of Washington Elementary and Taylor Hill of Sandpoint Middle School. All Patriot’s Pen finalists and the Voice of Democracy first place winner have a chance to receive regional awards based on their contributions.
Of course, the bulk of events are set for Monday, with a ceremony starting 8:30 a.m. at War Memorial Field. The assembly will include a rifle detail and a Taps performance, followed by a speech from VFW and Vietnam Veterans of America associate Bill Stevens.
From Memorial Field, the schedule moves to local schools. Sagle Elementary School is set to have a veterans program at 10 a.m., to which all vets are invited. The morning will feature guest speakers as well as a special performance by elementary school students.
Sandpoint High School is last on the list with a 12:30 p.m. assembly. Organizers plan to show “Honor Flight,” a powerful documentary film about World War II veterans’ efforts to see the Washington, D.C. war memorial within their lifetimes.
“If you’ve never seen it before, just hope they have tissues handy,” Stevens said.