FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Cedar Valley Service Members Unite in Waverly for Operation: Gratitude, 2014
Waverly, Iowa, October 30, 2014 — On Tuesday, November 11th, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, area active duty military, retirees, National Guard, reservists, veterans and their families will converge on Waverly’s Centre Hall for the Cedar Valley’s second annual event aimed at thanking our service members, both past and present.
The event is free to past and present service members and their families however they must show proof of service by providing a valid military ID card, DD-214 (discharge document), VA healthcare card or state-issued, “veteran designated,” driver’s license for entry. To prevent acts of stolen valor, no other forms of identification will be accepted at the event.
Similar to last year’s event, Operation: Gratitude, 2014 bolsters free five-star appetizers and food, gifts, chair massages and prizes but has added much to the event in the course of a year. We have added many more gifts and door prizes but will also include haircuts, break-out sessions with expert historians and games for the kids, Abraham Lincoln, author Miyoko Hikiji, and a Grand Finale by Simon Estes and Wartburg Musicians.
The Operation Gratitude series is sponsored by local and national businesses, non-profits and private citizens and was created to thank our service member for the sacrifices made and continue to make in the defense of our nation. This year however, the event has drawn the attention of national organizations like The Wounded Warrior Project and Team Rubicon, a veteran, disaster relief, non-profit that serves as a quick reaction force throughout the world.
For further information, you may contact Lornarae Power or Neal Jarnagin, Bremer County Veterans Affairs, at (319) 352-4209.
