Community Outreach – Page 3 – Ballard Eagleson Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3063

Commander’s Corner: December 2024

Comrades and friends,

Join us for an evening of festive cheer at our Annual Holiday Party!

Date: Friday, December 20
Doors Open: 5:00 PM
Dinner Served: 6:30 PM

Celebrate the season with your fellow members, friends, and family as we enjoy:
🎵 A special performance by the Top of the Hill Barbershop Quartet
🎄 Delicious festive food and desserts
🎉 Recognition of participants in our post-level Youth Essay Contests
🎁 A small holiday gift for all youth in attendance

Last month our Veterans Day Open House was a resounding success, with so many from our diverse community coming together to celebrate veterans. Let’s do it again for the holidays! Bring your family and friends to enjoy the festive atmosphere and recognize the achievements of our talented youth.

We’re also accepting donations that evening for our annual Ballard Food Bank Drive. Please consider bringing non-perishable items to help support local families in need this holiday season.

Please RSVP by December 17 to help us plan for meals and seating. Let us know how many people will be attending, including children, and any dietary restrictions.

RSVP by emailing [email protected] or calling/texting 206-701-9259.

We look forward to celebrating with you and spreading holiday joy at this wonderful annual tradition!

In comradeship,
Aly Teeter, Commander

Veterans Day Recap

A heartfelt THANK YOU to everyone who joined us for our Veterans Day Open House. We had an amazing turnout and it was incredible to see our community come together to honor our veterans. Special thanks to World War II veteran and Post 3063 member Clarence Rankins Jr., Councilmember Dan Strauss, and Maj. Gen. Jimmy Collins for helping make the day even more memorable. We’re also grateful for the support of the Washington National Guard‘s 181st Brigade Support Battalion, King County Veterans Program, Troops 100 & 8100 Seattle, and all our friends, family, and neighbors. Your presence made this day truly unforgettable. Special shoutout to our volunteers who made the event so successful, from the burger burn to clean-up.

Presidential Volunteer Service Award Presented to Scouts

Congratulations to these scouts from Ballard’s Troops 100 & 8100 Seattle who recently received the President’s Volunteer Service Award at their Court of Honor ceremony. VFW Post 3063 is honored to be their certifying organization for the prestigious PVSA. This award, created by the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation, recognizes individuals and groups who have dedicated significant time to volunteer service in their communities.

These hard charging scouts dedicated hundreds of hours of service to their community; job well done!

Wall of Heroes: Clarence Rankins Jr.

From the VA Puget Sound: “Leaders from VA Puget Sound, Madigan Army Medical Center, Washington Department of Veteran Affairs, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3063 and Washington’s 7th congressional district honor VA Puget Sound’s 2024 Wall of Heroes Inductee, 100-year-old U.S. Army Technician 5th Grade Clarence Rankins Jr. (at lectern), during our annual Veterans Day event. Rankins’s daughter-in-law also shared a heartfelt tribute to her “dad” that made us smile and occasionally laugh out loud.”

Commander’s Corner: Veterans Day 2024 Edition

Comrades,

As we approach Veterans Day, I want to take a moment to reflect on the significance of this time of year. It’s not just a day for remembering—it’s a time to reconnect with the values that define us: service, sacrifice, and camaraderie. These values are at the heart of everything we do here at VFW Post 3063.

On Nov. 11 starting at 9 a.m., we will be hosting our Veterans Day Open House. This event is more than just a community gathering—it’s a chance for us to come together as a post, to honor our shared experiences, and to welcome others into our fold. Whether through displaying artifacts, sharing stories, or simply being present, every one of us has something valuable to contribute. We also need volunteers! Please see this sign up for available slots.

I encourage all of you to take part, not just in this event, but in the life of our post. As members we are part of something much bigger than ourselves. Together we have the power to create lasting connections, support each other, and ensure the legacy of our service lives on in our community.

Let’s make this Veterans Day a true celebration of who we are and what we stand for. I look forward to seeing you there.

In comradeship,
Aly Teeter, Commander