Vets 4 Veterans’ Families Event on June 26

Hope, help and fun will be present in a special community event this month.

On June 26, Immanuel Lutheran will proudly host Vets 4 Veterans’ Families, a family-focused, community event sponsored by American Legion Post 171.  The event is free and runs from 10am until 5pm.

All veterans and first responders and their families are invited to attend. The brave men and women who willingly defended our country and freedoms deserve more than just our thanks and recognition – they also need our help.

Depression, anxiety, and PTSD among veterans have long been on the rise. Suicide rates throughout the military veterans and first responders communities are up to an alarming 20 per day, as Bob Dorn, Director of Outreach at Immanuel Lutheran, and Jr. Vice Commander of American Legion Post 171 points out.  The goal is to eliminate these occurrences through networking and using the best available resources for support and education.

This gathering on the Immanuel Lutheran grounds will feature music and entertainment, games and activities for the kids, local food trucks, motorcycles from Woodstock Harley-Davidson, classic cars, and two local equine therapy organizations.  Most importantly, the event will provide educational workshops and several speakers on multiple topics including PTSD, veteran suicide, and impact on families.

Keynote Speaker, Major General James H. Mukoyama Jr. Retired, will discuss the topic of PTSD vs. Moral Injury. In addition, Ashton Kroner, Marine Veteran and Veteran Outreach Coordinator for the RUSH Road Home Program will discuss “Recognizing Symptoms of PTSD.”  Christy Lister, from Blue H.E.L.P., will elaborate on “Family Involvement and Difficult Subjects”.  There will be six educational sessions available to attendees.

Many supportive partner organizations will be in attendance, including RUSH University Hospital Road Home, Veterans’ Path to Hope, Veterans Assistance Commission, VA Hospitals, WARPS CORPS and the Oscar Mike Organization.

Simple thanks are never enough, and our veterans, first responders, and their families need our support now more than ever. That is what this special event on June 26 is all about. “This event will support those who have served our country, and the family members who love them,” Dorn said.

For more information or any questions about Vets 4 Veterans’ Families, visit this page or contact Bob Dorn at rdorn2@gmail.com.

Immanuel Lutheran

300 S Pathway Ct

Crystal Lake, IL 60014

815-459-1441