Veterans enjoy fellowship, find resources at annual Appreciation Day

See all the pictures in the Veterans Appreciation Day Gallery here.

Branson Event Center was filled with activity last month, as area veterans took the opportunity to enjoy delicious food and fellowship while learning about resources available to them in Branson and surrounding communities. The annual Veterans Appreciation Day is hosted by Branson Veterans of America 913 each year as part of their mission of serving other veterans. 

BVA leaders shared that the event was a great success, with at least 276 veterans and some family members and friends in attendance and 25 exhibitors on hand to share information about the services they provide. The services represented included practical assistance, such as accessing healthcare benefits and making job connections; as well as groups offering fellowship and connection opportunities and emotional support resources.  

As one of those support resources, Veterans of the Ozarks coordinated an on-site session of the valuable QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) suicide prevention training. Seven participants were newly certified as gatekeepers, after learning and practicing skills to recognize and intervene with at-risk individuals. 

Still other participating groups were a wonderful reminder of the appreciation grateful citizens feel for our veterans, with representatives from Honor Flights of the Ozarks, Veterans Memorial Garden, Blue Star Mothers and more. POW Network was also in attendance, with lapel pins and other commemorative items as well as information about obtaining records. 

A highlight of Veterans Appreciation Day is the benefit car show, with 60 entries this year in categories for both cars and trucks organized by military service era. The following entries received the honors: 

●      Pre-WWII (pre-1941): 1937 Ford Fayetton owned by Del Eaton  

●      WWII era (1941-1949): No entries in this category, so spread the word for next year!  

●      Korean War era (1950-1959): 1957 Chevrolet BelAir owned by Ron Tomas 

●      Vietnam era (1960-1975): 1962 Chevrolet Impala owned by Duane Roesch 

●      Grenada era (1980-1989):  1982 Pontiac Trans Am owned by Todd Brady 

●      Persian Gulf era (1990-1999): 1999 Ford Mustang GT Limited Edition owned by John and Linda Woods 

●      Afghanistan era (2000-2021): 2020 Ford Mustang Saleen owned by Marty Clopton 

●      Vehicles configured to military specifications: No entries 

●      Truck, pre-WWII: No entries 

●      Truck, WWII era: 1949 Chevy owned by Allen Baumgardner 

●      Truck, Korean War era: 1950 Chevy owned by Terry Glendening 

●      Truck, Vietnam era: 1971 Chevy owned by Tony Doerr 

●      Truck, Grenada era: 1979 Chevy C10 owned by Ken Hedgpeth 

●      Truck, Persian Gulf era: 1995 GMC Sierra owned by Karl Logston 

●      Truck, Afghanistan era: No entries 

Branson Veterans of America 913 leaders emphasize that they could not have done this event without the help of generous donor/sponsors, 34 in total. “We depend on the donations to help us pay for the costs associated with this event,” shared Richard Burkhalter. “With continued support from our donors, we hope to continue this annual event, to reach out to veterans and the community and increase their awareness of the resources and information available through the VA as well as through many private businesses.” 

Show your appreciation by patronizing and thanking the following donors/sponsors: 

Platinum sponsors – 

●      Branson Bank 

●      Horsin’ Around Golf Carts 

●      Pepsico 

●      Corcoran Family Landscape and Lawns 

●      Ozark Mountain Realty Group 

●      Pizza Ranch 

Gold sponsors – 

●      Kilwin’s Ice Cream 

●      Patriot Heating & AC 

●      Ron’s Trailer 

●      Kevin & Tracey Lightfoot, Realtors 

●      Weber Masonry 

●      Spirits Shop 

●      Seamless Experts 

●      Snapp-Bearden Funeral Home 

Silver Sponsors – 

●      All Missouri Caregivers 

●      Branson Granite & Title 

●      Central Bank 

●      D & B HVAC 

●      The Flagstore 

●      Healing Arts Center 

●      Cremations of the Ozarks 

●      Greenlawn Funeral Homes 

●      Exclusive Automotive LLC 

●      Michele’s Flowers and Gifts 

●      Nature’s Wonders 

●      Timothy Rohman LLC 

●      Table Rock Quilts of Honor 

●      Wilhite Enterprises LLC 

●      Signs Now 

●      The Jewelry Studio 

●      Superior Solutions 

●      Layton’s Lawncare and Snow Removal 

●      White River Electric Cooperative 

If you or a veteran you know missed Saturday’s event, it’s not too late to connect for resources and fellowship; BVA 913 is one of several great local groups to help you do that. In addition to coordinating the Appreciation Day event each year, this active group offers other fun events throughout the year, provides honor guard/color guard services, and takes the lead in managing Branson’s Veterans Day Parade. Visit https://www.bransonveteransofamerica.com to learn more and get involved.