2 area events to help veterans

Family fun day and a festival this weekend will support military families and veterans.

Two events will be held this weekend to show appreciation for veterans.

Making its return for the fourth consecutive year is the annual Veterans Family and Military Family Fun Day at Georgia Highlands College. The event is free and hosts over 30 vendors and a 20-piece military band.

The event will be Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at GHC’s Floyd County campus.

The event — which includes free food, door prizes, a petting zoo, rock climbing wall, bingo, a bounce house, canoeing on the lake and much more — is also open to the public, said Amy Wise, GHC veterans affairs coordinator.

“This is a fun, free opportunity for our military students to bring their families on campus. It is also an opportunity for GHC faculty, staff and students to bring their families out and show support to our military students,” said Wise.

The family fun day also will have a new addition — the Mobile Vet Center, which provides readjustment counseling and information resources.

“GHC wants to show appreciation to military families at the college as well our military families in the community,” Wise said. “We want to connect military families with community resources and also provide a fun, free event for kids and adults.”

The Mighty 7th Veterans Festival will be the inaugural event for American Legion Post 305 in Fairmount. The festival will be Saturday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday, April 30, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Fairmount Ballparks on Carter Mountain Road.

“This is a way for the legion to raise money to help veterans who are homeless, disabled or who are just coming home and readjusting,” explained post member Doug Wallace. “We want to recognize our vets, have some community awards and have a safe, fun day for families.”

The festival will have several bands, six inflatable play areas for children, and barbecue, hamburgers and hot dogs will be for sale. There also will be door prizes and a silent auction. The Classic Car Club will be onsite as well to show cars.

“I get chill bumps when I think about how much the community is coming together to help our veterans,” Wallace said. “It’s more than I expected. We’ve had a lot of donations of items from local businesses.”

All of the money raised will go to American Legion Post 305 to help pay for veterans programs, he said.