The second annual Vet Fest will be held on Saturday, July 22 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Washtenaw Community College. The event, which is sponsored by the WCC Wadhams Veterans Center, is free and will feature food and fun for all ages.
“Vet Fest serves as a wonderful opportunity to connect military veterans to multiple resources that they may not be aware of or may need help with,” said Fran LeFort, media relations director.
While kids are enjoying the fun activities and food, veterans can visit the many service providers who will connect them with various organizations in the community.
“More than 50 resource providers and vendors will be on hand to assist with needs in multiple areas,” LeFort said. “Representatives from Veterans Affairs will be at the event with the ability to process claims, print DD214 forms and conduct pre-screening for the PACT Act.”
“Also, we are inviting any Vietnam veteran who has not received their pin to join us at 12 PM in the Community Park area of campus, where the military vehicles will be displayed. We will host a pinning for Vietnam veterans at this time.”
Families can get an up-close look at military vehicles, including a World War II ammunition truck and a Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopter from Selfridge Air National Guard Base and the Michigan Army National Guard.
In addition, kids can enjoy a bounce house, dunk tank, face painting, and photo booth, along with live music and hourly raffles.
WCC enrolls more than 500 veteran students at any given time. The Wadham Veterans Center is a valuable resource to those students, assisting them with their educational pursuits while also offering help with veterans benefits.
This year’s event was made possible with support from American Legion Post 46, the Washtenaw County Department of Veterans Affairs, the Vietnam Veterans of America chapter 310, and the Ann Arbor Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
“We are grateful for everyone who has served our country,” Le Fort said. “Vet Fest was organized as an opportunity to support our veterans and their families who have given so much to all of us, who’ve sacrificed and fought for our freedoms.”
