The Rotary Club of Sedona Village is inviting the community to its annual Veterans Day program at the Sedona Winds assisted living community on Tuesday, Nov. 11, from 10 to 11 a.m. with a color guard and a special performance by Motown musician Sammy Davis.
“It’s an opportunity to show respect and appreciation for those who can’t get out anymore,” Rotary Veterans Activities Chairman Rob Schaefer said. “It’s been very well received by the Sedona Winds staff and management, and the veterans really appreciate the recognition. It’s held in the care facility, not the independent living area.”
The program takes place outdoors near the flagpole, where the club recognizes each of the veterans and presents them with a veterans pin. “We have a color guard made up of Rotary members and a few of their children who present the colors, raise the flag, and lead the pledge,” Schaefer said. “It’s a very nice ceremony that lasts exactly an hour.”
“The Veterans Day Program is just a way to give back to veterans and also for the people who are over there in the home,” Davis said. “It gives them a chance to get out and listen to a few songs on a special occasion like Veterans Day.
“What I try to do is read the crowd and think of songs that will relate to them [so] songs they might have heard growing up,” Davis said. “And for the men and women who’ve been in the military, songs that remind them of their service — like ‘God Bless America’ or ‘Living in America.’”
The program concludes with a minute of silence at 11 a.m., the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, following the long-standing national tradition of honoring those who served.
“I served 23 years in the Air Force and retired as a colonel,” Schaefer said. “To me, it’s a reminder of the people I worked with all those years who were dedicated to the mission of protecting our country. … I would encourage everyone to participate in a Veterans Day program on the 11th. Doesn’t have to be ours. There’s other programs, but I think it’s really important that people personally remember what people have done to defend their freedom.”
Seating for the program is limited and attendees are encouraged to bring a chair.
In addition to the ceremony, the club is hosting the 20th annual raffle benefiting the John Cornelius Veterans Hospital Discretionary Fund that has raised over $300,000 since its creation. The Cornelius Raffle helps provide comfort items and entertainment for patients at the Bob Stump Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Prescott.
“Three holiday weekends a year, Memorial Day, Veteran’s Day and 4th of July the Sedona Village Rotary Club puts up a tent in front of Clark’s Market,” the club website reads. “We sell tickets for the Cornelius Veterans Hospital Benefit raffle drawing that will be held at the end of the weekend. Prizes are gift certificates that have been donated by local businesses. There are often multiple winners.”
Cornelius [April 23, 1918—April 5, 2017] served in the U.S Army in World War II and raised more than $200,000 for veterans at events in Sedona and the Village of Oak Creek.
The Rotary Club of Sedona Village also honored members of the club who are also veterans as part of its annual tradition that typically recognizes local veterans. For more information visit sedonavillagerotary.org.
