Walnut Creek Invites Public To Veterans Day Ceremony

WALNUT CREEK, CA — Residents and guests are invited to join the city of Walnut Creek for one of its cherished traditions, the annual Veterans Day ceremony.

Walnut Creek Mayor Loella Haskew will host the event, which is free and begins at 11 a.m. Monday, Nov. 11, at the Lesher Center for the Arts on the corner of Civic Drive and Locust Street.

The national theme for Veterans Day this year is "A Legacy of Loyalty and Service."

The mayor has invited representatives from Joybound, People & Pets—formerly ARF—to share details of the organization's successful Shelter to Service program. Through the program, shelter dogs are trained to become psychiatric service animals to help veterans with various emotional and mental health conditions find a new "leash" on life.

"On Veterans Day and every day, we recognize the loyalty and service of those who have served our nation during conflicts and in peacetime," Haskew said. "It's fitting that we also acknowledge that some veterans return from service with additional needs, and sometimes a loyal four-legged service animal can contribute to their physical and mental health."

As part of the city's Veterans Day tradition, the patriotic sound of the Walnut Creek Concert Band will be heard throughout the hour-long ceremony. Under the direction of Matthew Sadowski, the band will give special recognition to each branch of the nation's military.

The city thanked the professional staff of the Lesher Center for the Arts and other Walnut Creek staff members for bringing this special ceremony to the community.