Midland Garden Council invites all Gold Star Families, active and veteran service members and their families, and interested members of the public to attend a dedication ceremony of a Gold Star Memorial Plaque at 2 p.m. Sunday, June 2 on the lawn west of Dow Diamond, off of State Street.
The plaque will be installed next to the existing Blue Star Plaque.
Gold Star Families are those whose immediate family members died as a result of active duty military service.
Those planning to attend are asked to RSVP to Donna Frawley by May 15 at frawleyherbs@yahoo.com or 989-488-0170. Refreshments will be served after the ceremony.
Midland Garden Council is made up of five local garden clubs: Chemical City, Evergreen, Great Lakes Gardeners, Midland Garden Club, and Little Garden Club.
If you would like to make a donation in honor of a family member or friend who is currently serving in the military, who has served, or who was killed as a result of their service, you can send a check (payable to Evergreen Garden Club – Gold Star) to Gold Star Memorial, c/o Susan Zajac, 2401 Longfellow, Midland, MI 48640-7331.
Include the name and address of the donor and the details of your loved one being honored: name, branch of service, rank, conflict they fought in, and whether they were killed while in service. Donations must be received by May 1, or can be given anonymously at the dedication on June 2.
Lacrosse games raise funds, donations for Aaron’s Gifts From Home
A designated Military Appreciation Night for the Dow High School boys’ varsity and junior varsity lacrosse games on April 9 yielded many donations to the local organization Aaron’s Gifts From Home.
Those attending the games made monetary donations of almost $400 in addition to a couple hundred dollars worth of donations of items.
The mission of Aaron’s Gifts From Home is to provide food, snacks, personal hygiene items and entertainment to any and all currently deployed military personnel on a year-round basis – to improve the morale of American troops serving abroad by sending care packages to them.
Aaron’s Gifts From Home was established in memory of HN Aaron Ullom of Midland, who was killed in action with the United States Navy on July 12, 2011 in Afghanistan.
Military News reports updates on a regular basis about active duty military service members, veterans, and related organizations in the Midland area. Send news and story ideas to Managing Editor Dan Chalk at chalk@mdn.net.