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Hogan Family YMCA breakfast honors vets
U.S. Army veterans stand during “The Army Goes Rolling Along” portion of “The Armed Forces Medley” performed by the Army Materiel Command Band ensemble, Arsenal Brass, at the 2016 YMCA Veterans Prayer Breakfast. Contributed/Eric Schultz, Heart of the Valley YMCA
MADISON – Hogan Family YMCA hosted the 11th annual YMCA Veterans Prayer Breakfast on Nov. 3.
“Courage, Sacrifice and Duty — Honoring our Military Veterans” was the theme for the event. The breakfast opened Veterans Week in the Tennessee Valley with numerous events honoring the men and women who have served or are currently deployed in all branches of military service.
Retired Brig. Gen. Bob Drolet served as event chairman. Drolet assured the veterans that the community respects their work and values their presence in the community.
The “YMCA BG Bob Drolet Service to Veterans Award” was presented to retired Lt. Gen. Kevin Campbell. Helping present the award to Campbell were Dr. Joe Fitzgerald, Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army; Karen Drolet Owen; Kevin Campbell; Ginger Harper, Heart of the Valley YMCA Board Chairman; and Jerry Courtney, Heart of the Valley YMCA President.
Sponsors for the breakfast were AUSA Redstone-Huntsville Chapter, Robert Drolet, duMidi Woman’s Club, retired Lt. Col. John R. Hamilton, State Rep. Bill Holtzclaw, Huntsville Housing Authority, IberiaBank, Madison City Councilman Tommy Overcash, Lockheed Martin, Pearce Construction, Madison Chamber of Commerce, Prueitt Consulting LLC, Mark Maxey, Rotary Club of Madison, State Rep. Mac McCutcheon, State Rep. Howard Sanderford, NAVFOC, Still Serving Veterans, Northrop Grumman and Torch Technologies.
Veterans Week recognition at the YMCA includes free admission for all veterans with valid military identification and their families on Nov. 4-13 at all YMCA branches.
In 2015, Heart of the Valley YMCA provided free and subsidized memberships and programs valued at $175,774 to Armed Forces men and women and their families in Huntsville and Madison County through YMCA Military Outreach. Through the generosity of donors, the YMCA supports military families by providing free YMCA membership while their loved one is deployed, respite child care and summer camp for military children with a deployed parent.
For more information, visit ymcahuntsville.org.
