The Polk County Memorial ladies Auxiliary to VFW Post #9116 is inviting the public to attend a special candlelight service in the evening of Nov. 11, 2014 in observance of Veterans Day. The purpose of the service is to remember and honor all the men and women of the Armed Forces who are serving or who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to the nation.

The service will take place at the veterans Memorial Park in downtown Columbus beginning at 7 p.m. Members of the public and of the ladies Auxiliary will light candles in thanks and remembrance of those who have served and those who are serving our country. This is a wonderful opportunity for all our citizens to light a candle in honor of a special loved one or in honor of all our nation’s heroes.

The ladies Auxiliary is asking for a small donation to light a candle in honor of a veteran and the profits from the sale will be used for “Operation Changing lives”. This new national Ladies Auxiliary VFW project will benefit all veterans in need, not just those who have recently come home, through the VFW’s National Veterans Service program.

One of the most heartfelt examples of this program is the Unmet Needs project. An excerpt from the 2014-2015 National Program book describes how the funds are used – “A soldier is serving on foreign soil, but the rent is due back home. A soldier is driving a tank on alert for IEDs, and the family car needs a new radiator at a cost the family cannot afford. These are the situations Unmet Needs can address.” The VFW’s National Veterans Service (NVS) helps veterans, service members and their families obtain the benefits they deserve – at no cost.

Anyone interested in donating to have a candle lit for a veteran and support “Operation Changing lives” can stop by the following participating Columbus businesses:

• Cuts of Columbus

• Larkins Carolina Grill

• Columbus ABC Store

• Pro Physical Therapy

• Calvert’s Kitchen

• Macon Bank

• The Columbus Town Hall

The Polk County Memorial Ladies Auxiliary to VFW Post #9116 is very appreciative of the participating businesses, the generous support of the public and always the men and women in service to our Country.

 

— article submitted 

by Otis Livingston