Celebrating Veterans Day 2022
The Old Soldiers Home Foundation was honored to celebrate Veterans Day 2022 at the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Washington, D.C. Special thanks to Recorded Future for presenting and organizing the event which, although moved inside due to an unexpected late season tropical storm, turned out to be what one resident described as “the best Veterans Day we’ve had.”
The day began over coffee and patriotic-themed donuts provided by Compass Coffee and Astro Doughnuts, with welcome remarks by the Home’s CEO Steve Rippe. At 11:00 the group moved to the Home’s hall of honors for an Armistice Day commemoration at 11:11 by the Home’s Chaplain, Rev. John Goodloe, as well as a wreath-placement and remarks by uniformed residents as well as U.S. Army Lieutenant General Doug Stitt. After the ceremony, the celebration continued with lunch, refreshments at the Home’s bar the Defenders’ Inn with bartending help from BasisTech employees, music by resident DJ Billy White, indoor games, and a silent auction with items including Washington Nationals box tickets, Washington Capitals memorabilia, military-themed metal sculpture, and more. Local youth Genevieve Forster presented a check for $700 from a Facebook fundraising drive she held for the Foundation as part of her efforts to combat loneliness among seniors and veterans in the DC area.
Veterans Day became Veterans Weekend, continuing on Monday when local news WJLA Channel 7 and the Safeway Foundation came to the Home to provide breakfast, interview residents, and present a surprise $15,000 check to support the Foundation’s projects to improve the quality of life for residents at AFRH.
Together these events raised over $37,000 for the Old Soldiers Home Foundation. Thank you to all the residents and guests who participated, and particularly to our sponsors who helped make this first Veterans Day celebration a success:
Synchrony Foundation
We look forward to making next year’s Veterans Day even better!
Photo credits: AFRH and Mike Hoth
