PHOTOS BY MICHELLE KANE
Attendance was down slightly at the Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington’s annual Veterans Day dinner, but the food and gratitude was abundant.
“The word is that the Elk’s Lodge is hosting a dinner tonight, too,” said Michelle Kane, a Girl Scout troop leader and service team member. “This is our 11th annual event and there are a lot of familiar faces missing tonight that usually come every year.”
This year’s program included a visual representation of the Girl Scouts who have family members who have served or are currently serving their country. One by one the branches of the military were called out and the girls gathered around a sign representing the branch of the military if they had a family member who served in it. Several of the girls had to move from one military branch sign to another because they had family members that served in different branches.
“This shows Veterans Day has a personal, special meaning for a lot of our girls,” said Kane. “They hear the stories and they have to miss that family member while they are deployed.”
GSOSW Service Unit 22 would like to thank the Oregon National Guard in Hermiston for allowing them to use their facility and finding a volunteer to monitor the event each year.
“The girls and their families look forward to putting on the best event they can each year for those who sacrifice so much for our country,” said Kane. “It makes us proud to see them scurrying around to do what they can to make their guests feel special.”
