VA Veterans Day Parade Celebrity Grand Marshal Connie Stevens will Present Quilts made by East Valley and Casa Grande Quilters, then Visit with Patients
Date: Monday, Nov. 10
Time: Noon - Quilt presentation
Afterwards Connie will visit with patients until about 4:30 p.m.
Where: Ambulatory Care Center Basement Conference Room, Carl T. Hayden Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center; Northeast Corner of Third Street and Indian School Road (proceed through main entrance of the ACC and bear right, take elevators to basement)
PHOENIX - On the day before the nation honors all its veterans of military service, a more intimate gathering at the VA Medical Center in Phoenix will show some local veterans how much their service and sacrifices are appreciated.
Quilts made by the Casa Grande Quilting Guild and the Long Arm Quilters Association will be presented to several veterans of service from the Vietnam War to Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) in Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). Some family members of deceased veterans also will receive quits as a tribute to their loved ones.
Singer, actress and director Connie Stevens will make the presentation, along with members of the Casa Grande Quilters Guild and VA Case Managers. The presentation begins at noon, Nov. 10, in the basement conference room of the medical center's Ambulatory Care Center, located on the NE corner of Third Street and Indian School Road in Phoenix.
For some veterans and their families, the gesture is an important part of their healing. Quilts, a unique American tradition, symbolize the bonds of family, history, and comfort.
Pat Tuli LCSW, a case manager who works with veterans of the OEF and OIF conflicts at the Carl T. Hayden VA Medical Center, says the presentation of the quilts is so meaningful to veterans, because it acknowledges their sacrifices.
"For the veterans who are discharged and are trying to get their lives back, this is a way of letting them know that they are not forgotten. These veterans are so grateful to be acknowledged," says Tuli.
Through their "Quilts of Valor" program, members of the Casa Grande Quilters Guild, which includes members from Gilbert, Sun Lakes and the Casa Grande area, have made and donated about 85 quilts to the VA Medical Center over the last two years.
Some of the veterans receiving quilts on Monday include:
Lee Garcia, of Glendale, a Vietnam veteran
Tim Hernandez, of Florence, an OEF and OIF veteran who also is a Parade Grand Marshal
Greg Tieman, of Litchfield Park, an OIF veteran
Jeremiah Thompson, of Phoenix, an OEF-OIF veteran
David Donaldson, of Phoenix, an OEF-OIF veteran
John Thompson, a veteran who works for the Phoenix VA Health Care System as a transportation patient advocate on the OEF-OIF Team that serves returing soldiers
Jose Hernandez, also with the VA's OEF-OIF team, who is an administrative assistant
Other recipients include a widow of a Vietnam veteran who also cared for another recently deceased Vietnam veteran, and the grandmother of an OEF-OIF veteran, who also is the widow of a World War II veteran - both of whom recently passed away.
Singer/actress Connie Stevens, calls veterans "my favorite Americans." She has visited troops around the world, from Vietnam to the Persian Gulf, as well as numerous hospitals and military venues, and has donated proceeds from a film she made to veterans' charities. On a previous visit to the Phoenix VA Medical Center, she spent several hours with veterans, donning hospital garb to interact with patients in intensive care.
The Phoenix VA Health Care System's Annual VA Veterans Day Parade will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 11, starting at 11 a.m. It will feature approximately 100 patriotic entries. With a theme of "Serving With Honor," the 2008 VA Veterans Day Parade will pay tribute to all veterans from World War I to the present, with a special salute to OEF-OIF veterans.
This is the 12th year that the Phoenix VA Health Care System has coordinated the VA Veterans Day Parade, which is supported by the City of Phoenix Parks, Recreation and Library Department and the Veterans Medical Leadership Council. US Airways is a presenting sponsor of the event.
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