5th Annual Veterans Day Breakfast held Nov 11
Freedom Honor Flight and UW-L Athletics Annual Veterans Day Breakfast served hundreds
Area veterans and spouses were invited to the Fifth Annual Freedom Honor Flight Veterans Day Breakfast, held Wednesday, November 11, 2015.
This year, nearly 600 veterans attended the breakfast, the largest Veterans Day gathering in our area.
Breakfast
The breakfast was served from 8 to 10 a.m. in the Mitchell Hall Fieldhouse at UW-La Crosse. Student athletes served as hosts and wait staff. Breakfast was provided by Chartwells. Music by the UW-La Crosse Brass Quintet.
Hall of Honor Ceremony
There was be a brief ceremony at 8:15 a.m. in the adjacent Veterans Hall of Honor inside the UW-La Crosse Veterans Memorial Field Sports Complex.
Veterans Day Program
A program at 9:15 a.m. inside the Fieldhouse included comments from the following:
- Freedom Honor Flight President Pat Stephens
- UW-La Crosse Chancellor Joe Gow
- UW-La Crosse Track and Field Head Coach and Vietnam veteran Pat Healy
- UW-La Crosse Softball Head Coach and West Point Graduate Chris Helixon
- Colonel Patrick Clements, USAF, retired
UW-La Crosse ROTC provided the color guard and the North Woods International School 4th and 5th graders sang patriotic selections.
Major support for the breakfast is provided through a unique partnership of area financial institutions including Altra Federal Credit Union, BMO Harris Bank, Coulee Bank, Marine Credit Union, Merchants Bank, River Bank and State Bank Financial. Other sponsor include Chartwells, Festival Foods and Vendi Advertising.
UW-La Crosse students have been longtime supporters of Freedom Honor Flight: ROTC students assist with every flight, The Screaming Eagles Marching Band has performed at Freedom Honor Flight welcome home festivities and UW-La Crosse Athletics teams have held several successful fundraisers for veterans.