The Park Forest Veterans’ Commission is currently raising funds for their annual Veterans Day program. The program is slated for Thursday, Nov. 10, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Park Forest’s Freedom Hall, 410 Lakewood Blvd. The fundraiser aims to offset program costs which include a Vietnam-era Huey 369 helicopter landing in Park Forest’s Central Park.
Residents interested in supporting the fundraiser can purchase special Park Forest Veterans Day t-shirts for $20 at Village Hall. All proceeds from the t-shirt sales go directly to benefiting the commission’s fundraising efforts. In-kind donations are also being accepted. Those who donate $250 or more qualify for special recognition as an official program sponsor. The first donor at the $2,000 level will receive a Honor Flight in the Huey helicopter.
In addition to the helicopter landing, the Veterans Day program will include live music from the 144th Army band, and a display of current and antique military vehicles. The first one hundred attendees will be provided a free hotdog and bag of chips.
“The 2022 Park Forest Veterans Day program is shaping up to be an event that will be remembered for years to come, I commend the Park Forest Veterans’ Commission on a very unique program they are developing,” says Village Manager Tom Mick.
The Park Forest Veterans’ Commission is a resident-based volunteer group, who studies all matters impacting the quality of life for area veterans in the hopes of again making Park Forest a community of first choice for servicewomen and men. Since its inception in 2015, the commission has assisted Chicagoland veterans with housing, employment, physical and mental health needs. The Park Forest Veterans’ Commission earned the prestigious Governor’s Hometown Award in 2019 for its operating of the Park Forest Veterans Closet and Resource Center.