APPRECIATION … Each of the veterans present, during the lunch in Wauseon, received a certificate of appreciation and an American Flag pin.
By: Jacob Kessler
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
jacob@thevillagereporter.com
The Fulton County Senior Center held veterans’ appreciation dinners throughout the county this past week.
Lunches were held at locations in Archbold and Delta on Tuesday, November 6th with more lunches being held in Fayette, Swanton, and Wauseon on Wednesday, November 7th.
The event was open to all Fulton County Seniors aged 60 and older as a celebration for veterans and their spouses. Each of the locations saw at least several veterans come to celebrate, with some seeing more than others.
The lunch appreciation began back in 2014 at the Fulton County Senior Center located in Wauseon. At that point in time, all the veterans met at that location to be served breakfast.
Similar events were also held in 2015 and 2016 before they were moved off-site to St. Casper’s Church Hall for 2017 and 2018. At that point, the kitchen staff was making enough breakfast for 300 people.
In 2019 another large event was held at the Pettisville Missionary Church before COVID came and shut everything down for the time being and causing the 2020 event to be canceled. It returned in 2021, which is also where the event switched over to serving lunch.
Senior Center Activity Coordinator Vicki Hoylman explained that the hope is to, once again, bring everyone together under one roof once the new senior center is built. At that point in time, the current thinking is that the event will be held there.
All in all, this year saw around 75 veterans come in to be served along with spouses and other family members. A few hundred meals were served once again throughout the two-day event that is put on to serve those who served for all of us.
“We see this as a small way we can honor our veterans and thank them for their service. We are grateful and are happy to support them as our senior population,” said Hoylman.