The Casper J. Middlekauff American Legion Post No. 173, in Hays will conduct a series of activities on Saturday, starting at 9 a.m.
The first event is a Veterans Health Benefit and Jobs Fair that will go until 3 p.m. The Kansas Enhanced Mobile Veteran Service Van will be available to provide information and assistance to veterans and their family members.
The Kansas Works Department also will be there to help veterans and their families find jobs. They are also working to provide health screenings will be available as well.
The different veteran organizations also will have tables available for people to find out information and join or update their memberships.
Immediately following the Veterans health fair, the American Legion Post No 173 Riders will be having a Soup for the Soul cooking competition. The event is open to the public, and everyone is invited to attend from 4 to 7 p.m. to taste the different soups and desserts brought in by some of the best cooks in the area.
The cost of the event is $10 for adults and $5 for children to get in and get tickets for voting for the favorite soup or desert. Winners will be announced at 7 p.m.
All proceeds go to helping the American Legion Riders provide honor guards to fallen veterans in the area and to help pay for educating the public on the proper ways to pay respect to the flag. They also help with other causes such as the annual turkey run at Fort Riley Kansas, which provides food for families of soldiers from the post that need help as well as visits each year to Old Fort Dodge, a Kansas Veteran Retirement Home, to provide help with both financial and material needs.
Concluding the day at 7 p.m. is the second annual Honor Your Veteran Care and Share Event. This event is designed as a forum for families, with veterans both past and present to come and share their stories. Veterans don’t like to talk about themselves and their experiences in war-time, but family members know the veteran and are proud of their service. The event provides a forum for those family members to come share their story, whether it is about the veteran’s service in the military or what he has done in the community since.
People can bring scrapbooks to share pictures and stories of veterans, or they can stand up and share with the group or both. This isn’t limited to the veterans that served in the wars of our parents’ lifetime but all wars.
There will be music provided by a DJ, and the bar will be open for drinks and snacks throughout the evening. The event will go until 11 p.m.