Serving Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and other towns of the North Carolina High Country
Founded 05-05-05
January 18, 2007 issue
VFW Helps Deployed Troops and Families
Story by Nelson Giles
VFW post 7031 is celebrating its 60th birthday, having been chartered in 1946. In this birthday year, members of the post have raised more than $12,000. While small, 160 men and 40 women, the post’s goals have been large—focusing on supporting local troops abroad and the families here at home.
The post’s last three Saturday morning breakfasts have funded goody-boxes for deployed troops—shoeboxes filled with stamps, phone cards, stationary, cereal, washcloths, books, tapes and cards to provide a taste of home.
On August 12, the post held its second annual poker run, with proceeds funding unmet needs of the families and vets returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.
On November 11, the members conducted their "buddy poppy" program, a successful yearly fundraiser. The poppies are also used as decorations symbolizing veterans of foreign wars.
On November 17, the post held a pinto bean supper to raise monies for Carolina Canines, a special state project that provides a returning wounded veteran with a service dog. These dogs can cost $25,000, take three years to train and are sorely needed.
On December 2, Trees for Troops materialized thanks to Alan Scott, the NC Christmas Tree Growers Association and local tree growers Harry Yates and Cline Church, among others. A total of 800 local trees were donated—12,000 statewide—and were picked up and shipped free by FedEx to 25 bases and to Iraq and Afghanistan, making sure local families of deployed troops received one.
The Christmas party for the 1451st families went off without a hitch. The troops were deployed in March 2006 and are expected to return in March 2007. Chuck and Sheryl Blevins coordinated the collection of money and food, and what a collection it was. Donated turkeys, hams and foodstuffs for Christmas dinners were boxed for 22 families of locally deployed troops. An additional 21 boxes of food were given as door prizes for the other military families in attendance. Post members Don Ball and Bob Ward handed out $5,000 in $100 dollar bills to the children and families of deployed troops.
Flag ceremonies at the post’s war memorial are held on Memorial Day, May 30; Flag Day, June 14; 9-11 Commemoration, September 11; POW/MIA Day on the third Friday in September; and Veterans Day, November 11.
Quite a year!
Boone is one of those lucky towns that has a VFW post actively supporting locally deployed troops and families, while contributing to the state VFW efforts to aid returning vets and their needs. The post members embody the giving of the season all year long and prove that a little effort goes a long way.