Viet Nam Vets
Motorcycle club Alaska
|
|
Viet Nam Vets |
|
VA Domiciliary
The Viet Nam Vets Motorcycle Club was able to
close out the year spreading tidings and good cheer to many of Anchorage’s
veteran populace. We heard through the grapevine that the VA Domiciliary
located on the corner of C Street and Benson Blvd was in need of help. The VA
Domiciliary is a building complex that houses veterans who are need of shelter
and training to get back on their feet. Veterans spend time there getting
advice and assistance from the VA. With this help most veterans are able
to get the skills and training vital to getting a good paying job. The
Domiciliary dayroom TV had went on the fritz and they were unable to get it
fixed. So we coordinated with Cliff Dean, Manager, & Paul Drummond,
Assistant, of the VA, Voluntary Service's Program on what was needed and went on
a shopping trip.
Bulldog, Cliff, and Paul went to a bunch of local retailer's trying to work out
a deal for a big screen TV. We were able to get a great deal
on the TV from Sears thanks to some persuasive tactics conducted by our shopping
team. (I hear tell, after a marathon negotiation session, the store
manager finally offered to give Bulldog the TV and pay him a $100 as long as he
left the store and would not bother the poor guy any more).
Mr. Alex Spector, Director of the Alaska VA Health Care System, (AVAHCS), and
Dr. Cynthia Joe, Chief of Staff, & a number of other dignitaries of the
AVAHCS, attended the small ceremony giving the TV to the Domiciliary, which was
covered by Channel 2. We had the TV delivered to the Domiciliary on the
same day the American Legion conducts their annual Christmas Gift Donation
Day. The Legion collects gifts for veterans and takes them to the
Domiciliary where veterans can pick one out, get it gift wrapped, and sent to a
loved one. The legion takes them down to the post office and mails them free of
charge to the veterans. Our guys were busy helping move gifts around and
assisting veterans who needed help get through the line.
We also concluded our raffle for the $2200 Diamond Bracelet donated to us by Fred Meyer Security Manager Fred Becker V. The bracelet had 63 small diamonds making up two karats. The winner was Debbie from Anchorage. After her ticket was drawn, I gave her a call at home. At first she thought I was a crank call, but once she realized I was on the level, she said she would be right over. Debbie and her family came by our clubhouse and she had the opportunity to model the bracelet for a photo. We would like to thank Fred, Debbie, and all the other folks that supported our raffle by purchasing tickets. It is with this type of support that allows us to do the great things we are able to do for veterans, like the VA Domiciliary TV.
Our motorcycle club would also like to wish all of you a happy and prosperous New Year. Please make sure you stay safe and watch out for the other guy during the up coming riding season. Well, that is it for now. Hope to see you at our St Patrick’s Day Party at the Carousel Lounge on March 13th and of course the bike show at the Egan Center is on the weekend of March 20-21, 2004. We will be kicking off our new motorcycle raffle that weekend, I think we are raffling off a new Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic. If you have any veteran news to pass on, please contact scrounger at 227-3155 and as always, you can visit us at www.vnvmc-ak.com.
submitted by Scrounger
1/4/03