Ballard Eagleson Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3063
No One Does More for Veterans
Comrades Joe Fitzgerald, Jon Guncay, Harold Rodenberger, Anthony Rose and Dan Stokke participated in the Wreaths Across America Memorial Service at Lakeview Cemetery on Saturday, Dec. 15. WAA coordinates wreathlaying ceremonies at more than 1,400 locations across the United States, at sea and abroad.
For the past few years the post has received a stack of Veterans Day thank you notes from students at Hamilton International Middle School in Wallingford. It’s really heart warming to read them and realize how insightful these kids are at such young ages. Thank you to Teacher Daniel Waldschmidt for leading this effort.
Here are a couple that were pulled from the stack - enjoy!
We had big candy bars and magic tricks during Trick-Or-Treat Ballard, October 31, 2018. Thanks to everyone who volunteered or donated candy to the cause!
By Harold Rodenberger
Here in the Pacific Northwest, the annual migration of the sun is more noticeable than in other places farther south.
The autumnal equinox (September 23rd this year), when our southbound sun crosses the equator each year, reminds the natural kingdoms to prepare in earnest for the winter. It reminds me that kids are back in school, the weather is turning colder and it’s time to air out the woolens. Well, maybe people don’t do that last so much anymore, but you get my drift, winter’s coming.
For VFW members, it’s time to get back to attending meetings and socials. Chef Kay has been putting on gourmet dinners for our social nights and Commander Pete’s new meeting format has drawn more attendees and participation. Remember, you can tune in our meetings no matter where you are by hooking up to our Zoom Remote broadcast. Connection info will be sent to your email address of record earlier on the day of the meeting. Warm up that laptop or smartphone and join us.
Why not make a note to save the first Thursday each month for our business meeting and the third Thursday for the social?
It’s also the time to check around our neighborhoods for potential members. New members usually don’t join our post if they aren’t asked. Even if your neighbor isn’t qualified, she may know someone nearby who is. The only way to find out is to ask.
Autumn is a good time of year to distribute Buddy Poppies. Our Buddy Poppy chair is Comrade Tiffany Cavin. She has a supply of special 9/11 commemorative poppies. Please contact her at 253-327-8906 or tiffanycavin@gmail.com if you are interested in helping with this project.
November brings Veterans Day, another day to help our poppy-making veterans. Our Ballard teams will be distributing Buddy Poppies that weekend. Again, if you are interested in helping this vital effort, please contact Comrade Tiffany.
Finally, as the sun moves farther south, remember to be safe out there. Street crosswalks, sidewalks and even the steps to your back porch can be dangerous as daylight ends earlier. Keep an eye out for hazards and especially watch out for children.
By Alyson M. Teeter
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A sampling of the raffle prizes included art, dinner gift certificates, and vacation houses. There was something for everyone as there were more than 60 raffle prizes.[/caption]
Many hours of work paid off for VFW Post 3063 volunteers during the VFW Post 3063 Annual Spaghetti Fundraiser and Raffle Sept. 8, 2018. The annual spaghetti fundraiser, which has been held at the post hall for a number of years, brought in $5797.77. The net proceeds will be deposited in the Post Relief Fund, which benefits a variety of causes, from local veterans in need – including those at the Seattle VA hospital – to the VFW’s National Home for Children.
The hall was jam packed with comrades,
family members, and friends due in part to the Seelig family. Two-year Trustee Russ Seelig and his family performed a bulk of the work, from collecting raffle items to cooking the food. Their dedication to executing a phenomenal event was evident in the amount and quality of raffle items, the large turnout, and the taste of the food.
Many other members helped behind the scenes by collecting or donating
raffle items and selling tickets. Robert Kettle narrated and kept the event running smoothly. The Post 3063 Color Guard performed a flawless posting of the colors. Jan Bryson provided front office support before, during, and after the event.
Thank you to all who attended and come again next year!