Alexander Named Veteran of the Month and The Wild Whimsical Women named Veteran Supporter of the Month for August

We would like to congratulate Mr. Danny Alexander for being named Veteran of the Month (VOM) and Wild Whimsical Women being named Veteran Supporter of the Month (VSM) for August.

Mr. Alexander is a Vietnam War veteran who served in the U.S. Navy for 22 years, retiring as Commander.

Since moving to eastern Nevada in 2011, Alexander has been heavily involved in both the local veteran and wider community. During the past five years he has volunteered at the Veteran’s Resource Center where he greets veterans as they enter the center and has assisted with promoting, coordinating, and working on several activities such as the Pearl Harbor Day Celebration, the Warrior of the Canyon, and other events. He has also served as the chairman of the Veterans Committee for the Great Basin Elks Lodge for six years. In this capacity, he identifies Veterans who are having problems and uses the resources of the organization to provide assistance in their time of need. During his six years as committee chairman, he has helped veterans by: assisting them with their taxes to prevent foreclosure; providing travel and lodging support for veterans with significant medical issues; and providing repair of a heating system for a recreational vehicle used as a home by a veteran.

Alexander also travels to White Sands Missile Range every March to participate in the Bataan Memorial Death March honoring the fallen soldiers and survivors of the Bataan Death March of World War II.  He has also been a member of the Northern Nevada Veterans Resource Group which consists of a group of local volunteers who identify obstacles for veterans and work on solutions with the purpose of improving quality of life for all local vets.

Alexander has also been a community volunteer for many years. While living in Virginia he volunteered as an assistant commander of the Navy Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) program. Since moving to Nevada, he has become well known in the Elko and Spring Creek areas for his community involvement as an ambassador for the Chamber of Commerce and helping businesses connect with their benefits. As a member of the Elks, he supports the local community in assisting with the Flag Day Celebration and the local Hoop Shoot event. Alexander has also been very supportive of a local program called Flags for Heroes which places flags along the Lamoille Highway between Elko and Spring Creek on Memorial Day and Fourth of July. He is also a volunteer for the Ruby Mountain Balloon Festival where he has served as president and vice president, as well as chairman of the sponsorship committee. Congratulations to Danny Alexander for being named  VOM for August!

As VSM for August, the Wild Whimsical Women (WWW), currently has more than 185 women as members. However, the group began in 2011 with three ladies who shared their blessings and good fortune with the less fortunate in the community. WWW has social hours during the month where they brainstorm ideas for philanthropic and social activities.  These ideas and activities have led them to take on many projects to support local veterans. Among the projects they have undertaken:

• In 2014, they provided d a Thanksgiving holiday lunch at the Center of Influence at the Adventist Church in Reno for 125 vets,
• Since 2015, they have provided an annual summer picnic for more than 100 vets at Idlewild Park, and
• Since 2018, they have fulfilled wishes from 400 veteran families with their Christmas for a Vet program.For the 2019 Veteran Stand Down in Reno, the ladies of WWW provided and sorted 700 jackets and over 100 handmade sleeping mats.
• They have also undertaken a project to help veterans moving into new housing with furniture, bedding, televisions, and kitchen items. They also prepare move-in kits made up of toiletries and cleaning supplies.
• According to Ms. Stephanie Torian, Director Community Services at the Reno VA Medical Center, the WWW has provided over $15,000 in in-kind donations to local vets.
• The WWW also worked with the Vietnam Veterans of America chapter 989 with their Vietnam War Remembrance Day event as monitors and guides at the Reno Event Center and assisted in the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Northern Nevada State Veterans Home.

What an amazing list of accomplishments! Thank you, WWW, for all you do for veterans and the veterans community!

Due to the risk of coronavirus exposure, special ceremonies to honor and recognize the VOM and VSM are postponed until it is safe to resume them once again.