Area veterans will be celebrated on Saturday, November 12, at the first annual VETfest, hosted by Mountain Gateway Community College. The day-long recognition includes several events on the MGCC main campus in Clifton Forge.
“We are honoring those who served, celebrating the freedoms that they won, and remembering those we’ve lost,” says Robert Short, Student Activities Coordinator at MGCC and a US Army veteran who served two tours in Iraq. “We welcome all veterans, their families, and the community to attend and be recognized.”
The day starts off at 7:30 am with Army Combat Fitness Test on the College grounds. Participants are asked to pay a fee of $25, with all proceeds going to support scholarships for veterans and their dependents. The fitness test will be followed by a pancake breakfast at 9:00 am in Moomaw Center.
A vendor expo begins at 10:00 am on the College grounds, and at 11:00 am there will be a Veterans Memorial Service conducted by the Rev. Virgil Woodie, to recognize area vets who have passed away in the last year. Their families are encouraged to send in the names of those veterans so they can be honored, says Short. The service will be held at the flag poles on the front lawn, in front of Backels Hall.
The 29th Infantry Band will perform in concert at 2:00 pm, also on the front lawn, followed by a Veterans’ Appreciation Night, featuring the MGCC Roadrunner Men’s basketball team, when they play Mid-Atlantic Christian University from Elizabeth City, NC. Tip-off is at 3:00 pm in the MGCC Armory.
Sponsors include K. McConnell Legal, TruVSI and Appalachian Truck and Equipment.
For more information or to submit the name of a veteran to be honored during the memorial service, contact Short at (540) 863-2863 or rshort@mgcc.edu.
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