This last weekend, we hosted our Veterans Legislative Summit at John Ascuaga’s Nugget in Sparks, Nevada. The purpose of this Summit was to bring together Nevada legislators, veterans, and veteran advocates to discuss proposed veterans-related legislation and prepare for the 2011 Legislative Session. I am proud to say that it worked. Nearly every seat in the house was full. We had great turnout from our veterans service organizations, our public officials, and from the local media. State Treasurer Kate Marshall keynoted the opening ceremonies, where she spoke briefly about shared sacrifice and hinted at a new program for military families initiated by her office. It was great to have her there.
As mentioned, there was a large presence from the press there. You can watch the video from KTVN here, read about in the Reno Gazette-Journal here, and see the Sparks Tribune’s reporting on it here. Also, you can view our photos of the event here.
A special thank you to everyone who came out this Saturday for this important event. We will be ready for this legislative session thanks to your support.
Last week, Carole Turner, the Deputy Director of the Nevada Office of Veterans Services, spoke to the hosts of The Forgotten Promise radio program. The Forgotten Promise show was created by veterans for veterans, and is geared toward educating our veterans about benefits, how to receive them, and various other issues impacting all veterans. The show is heard live on the Las Vegas area on KDWN (AM720). You can listen to it streaming here. If you know Carole, you know that her knowledge of veterans’ issues and policies is only matched by the heart she puts into her work. Both her knowledge and her dedication to the veterans of Nevada come through in this very insightful interview. Listen to the whole thing here and you’ll be sure to learn a lot. I know I did.
The Westmoreland Chapter (Reno) of the Association of the United State Army is announcing a Military Support and Veterans Service Organizations Fair on Wednesday, November 3rd. The event will feature booths of many organizations, plus raffles and prizes from 10:30 AM until noon at the Joe Crowley Student Union Ballroom at UNR. Mr. John Register, Desert Storm/Desert Shield Veteran and Paralympics Games Silver Medalist, will speak at noon as part of Disability Awareness Month. Go here for more details.
They are also announcing that General Gordon R. Sullivan, former Chief of Staff of the Army and the current President of AUSE will be coming to Reno for a Veterans Day Dinner, November 11th. Make your reservations to join here.
Also, the Sun Valley Neighborhood Center will celebrate Veterans Day by honoring local vets with an event scheduled from 1:00 PM until 4:00PM. They are planning a BBQ and other activities. For more information call 775.328.6141, Director Grady Tarbutton.
Read the previous Veterans Day Roundups here, here, and here.
As Veterans Day approaches, activities will continue to be planned and announced throughout the state. I am going to try to list as many as I can find or am told about on this blog here, posted under the title “Veterans Day Roundup.” This is only a small list so far, as it is just intended as a start. If you have any upcoming events that you would like to see posted here, please feel free to contact our office.
The Las Vegas Review Journal just announced that it is running a promotion for Veterans Day. For a small fee, they will For publish a color picture of your veteran and 25 characters of text, and include a keepsake plaque. You can get more information here.
The Disability Awareness Coalition (Reno) is hosting a Disability Awareness Month speaker event on Wednesday, Nov 3, 2010. The event will be held at the Joe Crowley Student Union, 4th Floor Ballroom, University of Nevada, Reno. The speaker will be US Army Veteran and Paralympian John Register, and he will be on from 12:00 to 1:00 PM. Prior to the speaker, Military Support and Veterans Organizations will be holding a Fair from 10:30 AM to noon. The fair will include raffles and prizes. This is a FREE event open to the community.
U.S. Vets in Las Vegas will be holding the 2nd annual “Honoring those who serve” benefit dinner and silent auction. You can get more information here.
The Las Vegas Chapter of the American Red Cross is hosting a Veteran’s Day Golf Tournament on Thursday, November 11th at the Sunrise Golf Course at Nellis Air Force Base. The tournament is at the beginning of Aviation Nation Air Show activities and is sure to be an exciting day on the links. Cost for individual player is $75.00 and $300 per foursome. More information is available here.
And finally, the Lahontan Valley News reported on some non-Veterans Day new here and I thought it was worth adding to the list. Congratulations are in order for Jessica M. Yost and Heidi A. Fisher. Yost, a 2010 graduate of Elko High School, and Fisher, a 2007 graduate of Churchill County High School, both recently completed U.S. Navy basic training at Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Ill. Thank you for serving.
Just got the word that the DAV Chapter 1 will be hosting a series of town hall meetings tonight (October 18, 2010) regarding veterans issues.
Representatives from Senator Reid, Sharron Angle, Brian Sandoval, and Rory Reid's campaigns have been invited.
The event will be held at the American Legion at 730 4th Street, Sparks, NV, which is behind the Post Office on 4th and Prater. The schedule for the event is below:
1) 6 to 7 PM for US Senate Candidates or their representatives
2) 7:00 to 7:30 PM will be a break for refreshments, provided by DAV, and an opportunity for individuals to speak one-on-one with the candidates or their representatives
3) 7:30 to 8:30 PM for Nevada Governor Candidates or their representatives
4) 8:30 to 9:30 there will be additional time for the veterans to have an opportunity to speak one-on-one with the candidates or their representatives
Anyone interested in veterans issues is invited.
