By SALINA POST
In addition to closings, a variety of activities are planned to honor veterans this week.
Activities
Tuesday
The Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 809 of Salina, will be accepting drive-through donations for items needed at Kansas Soldier's home in Dodge City.
The drive-through collection will be in the parking lot of The Temple, 336 South Santa Fe Avenue, from 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Please enter from S. Santa Fe Avenue and exit onto S. Seventh Street.
Items needed include individual snacks (chips, crackers, etc.), toilet paper, paper plates, napkins, Kleenex tissue, cleaning supplies, dish soap, Windex, toilet bowl cleaner, new white socks (large size).
Additionally, Interim Healthcare is sponsoring a free drive-through sack lunch distribution for the first 100 veterans who show up. Sack lunches will be available from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. or until the first 100 veterans are served.
Thursday
Salina Area Technical College and the Kansas National Guard’s Regional Training Institute in Salina are hosting a Veterans Day flag-raising ceremony starting at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday on the Salina Tech campus. The ceremony will be followed by a free breakfast for active duty members of the military, veterans, and their families.
While the outside ceremony is open to everyone, the breakfast following is only for active duty members of the military, veterans, and their families. Reservations for the breakfast MUST be made in advance and will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Space is limited.
Reservations may be made by emailing rsvp@salinatech.edu.
Additionally, the Public Veterans Day Memorial service is scheduled for 11 a.m. Thursday at the Salina-Saline County War Memorial in Sunset Park.
A candlelight vigil is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Thursday at University United Methodist Church, 1509 S. Santa Fe Avenue.
Friday
Because it will be closed in observance of the Veterans Day holiday on Thursday, the Senior Center, 245 N. Ninth Street, will celebrate veterans on Friday beginning at 9:30 a.m.
According to Rosie Walter, Saline County Department of Senior Services director, there will be approximately 30 flags on the lawn of the facility and people will do a memorial walk around the building. Several vendors will be on hand with food, free raffles, and giveaways. Additionally, a senior will perform a veterans poem.
Closings
All city and county offices and facilities will be closed on Thursday in observance of the Veterans Day holiday, with the exception of the City of Salina landfill, which will maintain its regular hours. Additionally, city sanitation collection crews will maintain their regular schedules on Thursday.
All other city and county offices and facilities will return to regular hours on Friday.