Gaithersburg Veterans Day Observance Honors Military Personnel

From the City of Gaithersburg:

GAITHERSBURG, MD - The entire community is invited to join the City of Gaithersburg for its annual Veterans Day Observance on Friday, November 11, 2016, honoring and recognizing all U.S. military personnel who play an important role in safeguarding our nation and our future. The observance takes place at 11 a.m. at the City Hall Concert Pavilion, 31 South Summit Avenue in Gaithersburg.

City officials and members of local veterans groups will be on hand to honor those who have served in all branches of the military. Officials, veterans and community organizations will also participate in a solemn wreath laying ceremony, followed by a reception inside City Hall.

Joining the observance will be special guest speaker Brigadier General (US Army, retired) Gerald E. Galloway. General Galloway is a Glenn L. Martin Institute Professor of Engineering at the University of Maryland, where his teaching and research focus is on water resources policy and disaster risk management. During a 38-year career in the military following his graduation from the US Military Academy, he served in various command and staff assignments in Germany, Southeast Asia, and the US. General Galloway currently serves as a consultant to several international, federal, state, and non-governmental agencies and is involved in water projects in the US, Asia and South America.

To support homeless veterans in Montgomery County, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) John M. Carter Post #9862 has partnered with the Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless (MCCH), which provides emergency shelter to an average of 75 veterans annually. MCCH’s Operation Homecoming provides homeless Veterans with a safe, stable and affordable place to live. Donations, including food, toiletries and cleaning supplies, are being collected to assist Veterans with their move. A complete list is available on the City’s website. Donations can be dropped off during the Veterans Day Observance. Monetary donations are also being accepted, and will be used to purchase furniture, small kitchen appliances, linens, and household items. Checks can be written to either the Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless or to the VFW. You may also “Adopt a Veteran” by creating a Welcome Home Kit, assembling ALL the necessary items and storing the kit until a veteran is ready to move into housing.

For more information about drop-offs, tax deductible receipts, and creating a Welcome Home Kit, contact Martha Toquinto, VFW Post 9862, at 301-948-0781, mommaofamarine@yahoo.com or Debbie Ezrin, MCCH Director of Development and Communication, at 301-917-6644, dezrin@mcch.net.

For more information on Gaithersburg’s Veterans Day Observance please call 301-258-6350 or visit the City’s website at www.gaithersburgmd.gov.

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