Members from the District Anna Hurban of Chicago met on Saturday, April 22, 2017, for its eleventh consecutive Join Hands Day event at the Edward Hines, Jr., VA Hospital. Eighteen of the District members spent the afternoon with thirty-eight of the resident veterans playing forty-five very serious games of bingo where the vets had the chance to win some of the $1,135 in commissary coupons available as prizes. The District provided $500 toward the commissary coupons with District Branches contributing an additional $635. To make the playing field fair, each of the vets who arrived to play bingo received an initial gift of $5 in coupons along with the FCSLA drawstring bags. So as not to forget the other resident veterans who were unable to attend the bingo event, the District also gave each of them a $5 commissary coupon book and an FCSLA drawstring bag. Once again the event was a huge success with the vets truly enjoying their visit with us and once again asking us how soon we could come back to see them.
This VA Hospital is located in Maywood, Illinois and is the largest of the Chicago-area Veterans’ Hospitals, well known for its many programs and specialties including blind rehabilitation, spinal cord injury, neurosurgery, radiation therapy, cardiovascular surgery, and serves as a Polytrauma Center for severely injured veterans with skilled medical professionals who treat patients with traumatic brain injuries.
As always, the afternoon was filled with lots of laughter and fun, and all members in attendance agreed that it was just a small way of showing these vets how grateful we all are to them for the sacrifices they have made to ensure our American freedom!
To view photos from this event, visit the Photo Gallery on the Chicago District Web site.
