Full slate of activities scheduled for PC Veterans Appreciation Week

To honor all veterans, Porterville College will have a Veterans Appreciation Week on its campus from Nov. 7-14.

Several events, all of which are open to the public, are scheduled over the course of the week.

On Wednesday, Nov. 7, Veterans Appreciation Week honorary guest speaker Oz Sanchez will give a presentation in the college theater to kick off the week's activities.

After serving for nearly six years in the U.S. Marine Corps, Sanchez's life was forever changed when he was involved in a hit-and-run motorcycle accident, which resulted in a spinal cord injury and near complete paralysis of his lower extremities.

Since the accident, Sanchez has proactively competed as a hand cyclist and triathlete. To date, he's won six three medals — two golds and one silver — at the Paralympic Games. Sanchez's presentation will take place from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.

A ‘PC Salutes our Veterans' event is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 8 in the college quad. The event will feature the presentation of colors, the Pledge of Allegiance, the national anthem and honorary guest speakers.

Tables containing information on various support services available to veterans will also be set up in the quad. Interested attendees must RSVP by calling 791-2221.

On Tuesday, Nov. 13, a lunch-and-learn workshop titled “Give More: The Value of Community Service for Returning Veterans” will be held in the college's Student Center Conference Room (SCCR). The workshop, which will be presented by Virginia Osborne, a licensed clinical social worker who holds a Master of Social Work degree, will focus on the many benefits of volunteer service for those transitioning from the military to civilian life.

The workshop will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Limited seats will be available.

To round out the week's activities, a variety of movies and documentaries on World War I, World War II and other significant battles in American history will be shown from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 14, in the SCCR. Lunch will be provided and limited seats available.

Ribbons will be displayed around the campus over the course of the week as well.

No parking permit is required for the activities. For more information about any of the events, call Erin Cruz at 791-2332.