Sons of Confederate Veterans Warner Robins chapter salutes veterans at annual cookout in Dublin

Via T

Veterans take the veterans part of their name very seriously.

Last Saturday marked the 8th annual SCV Salutes American Veterans event held at the Carl Vinson VA Medical Center in Dublin.

SCV members from around Georgia join together at the VA hospital on the third Saturday of September every year to host the day-long event that was the original idea of Russ Huffman, a member of the Lt. James T. Woodward Camp, the SCV chapter located in Warner Robins.

“Part of the charge of the SCV is to honor veterans. I just thought that this would be a good way to uphold that charge,“ explained Huffman.

SCV members and other volunteers provided live music, goodie bags, door prizes and a chicken dinner meal that is cooked on site for about 250 patients and family members at the hospital.

This year included a motorcycle show contest by the Moose Riders from the Moose Club in Warner Robins; residents judged the motorcycles. The tables then turn as the residents participate in a wheelchair race in both powered and hand-operated wheelchairs.

While the weather this past weekend was noticeably cooler, many years the third weekend of September has had 95-plus degree heat. But that has never dampened the volunteers’ effort or the residents’ participation.

“They just love the music,” Huffman said. “I have seen it in the upper 90s and they will just sit out there and listen to the music all day.”

Along with the food and the music, another highlight of the day is the goodie bags that are given to each resident that include raffle tickets inside.

“We draw for all kinds of things,” Huffman said. “There is a pond down there so they especially like fishing equipment. The wheelchair patients like throws. Bird houses, bird feeders that kind of thing. We also bring games, books, magazines as well.”

“The residents always come up and thank us,” Huffman said. “They really look forward to the day and they make a big deal about us coming, which for me is a pretty sad after all they have done for us.”

“It was just an amazing day,” said Cecelia Jones, Carl Vinson VA Hospital supervisor of recreation therapy. “Many of our veterans came out early in the morning and stayed all day.”

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