Special Ceremony To Honor Military

By Jim Cochran

A special recognition ceremony will take place at 1:30 p.m. June 30 near the Moundsville Dollar Tree in the Busy Beaver parking lot in Moundsville to honor military personnel.

The ceremony will include The Patriot Guard Riders, the Moundsville Honor Guard, the Junior West Virginia ROTC, along with commanders of American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars from the tri-ttate, and members of these two organizations.

In addition, all military persons who have served or are currently serving are invited to attend.

“I want to encourage all military men and women to this “Operation Beat the Heat,” states Gail “Boatsie” Van Vranken. These individuals are to call her at (304) 232-5277 or via e-mail at boatsievv@aol. com in order to be given special recognition.

Van Vraken is the founder of Wheeling based Boatsie’s Boxes, Inc., a nationally recognized 501@3 non-profit Charitable Corporation, partnered with the Defense Department’s “America Supports You.”

Saturday Boatsie’s Boxes is teaming up with the Moundsville Dollar Tree in this fund-raising effort, the event to be from 11:30 a.m. until 4 p.m.

The afternoon’s festivities will also include a display of a Black Hawk Helicopter, an Air Force Mini F-22 Jet and an 18-foot submarine.

There will be a picture display of photos sent by troops from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Hot dogs, soft drinks and popcorn will be available for purchase, along with T-shirts, hats, bracelets and baked goods.

There will be face painting and balloons for youngsters, along with a clown who will entertain.

Raffle tickets will be sold for six prize packages, along with a 50/50 drawing. Drawings will take place at 4 p.m. Raffle details are available on the Web site www.boatsie.comhomepage/news/events/PDF file.

There will be collection boxes for monetary and supply donations, as Van Vraken said because of the 140 degree temperatures, such comfort items like Neck Coolers, Misty Mates, nose spray, wet wipes, sun block, foot products, eye drops, body wash and hand sanitizers are needed and will be sent to the military personnel.

Already, the Moundsville and New Martinsville Dollar Tree stores have sold more than $165,000 worth of these items which have been sent to service men and women.
 
   Sorry I, personally, will be unable to attend this very worthwhile event.  It is my sincere hope that we have a great turnout for such a good cause.
Respects,
Joe