A program and lunch that salutes local military veterans will return to the Ellijay Lions Club Fairgrounds this Veterans Day.
The honorary program will begin at 11 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 11. It will be followed by a complimentary lunch for veterans and their families at the neighboring Lions Club barn.
“We’ll have it on the 11th day at the 11th hour,” said Sam Burrell, Ellijay Lions Club past president.
The theme for this year’s program is “We Honor You.” Attendees can expect an array of spoken and musical tributes including performances by the Gilmer High School Marching Band, choruses from GHS and Clear Creek Middle School and a quartet from Pleasant Grove Baptist Church, Burrell said. The event’s guest speaker has yet to be confirmed.
Winners of Veterans Day poster and essay contests in local schools will also be announced, Burrell said.
Last year was the first in which the two Veterans Day events presented by the Lions Club were both held at the fairgrounds. The honorary program was previously staged on the downtown square, followed by the veteran’s luncheon at the Lions Club.
Burrell said having the two functions at the same location worked well before, so that’s also the plan for this year. The Lions Club will again be serving boxed barbecue lunches, he noted.
“We will be feeding all the veterans and their families. We expect a good turnout,” Burrell said.
A parade through downtown Ellijay that had also been part of past Veterans Day festivities was not held last year.
The parade is also off the schedule for this year, Burrell confirmed.
A complimentary Veterans Day breakfast previously held at First United Methodist Church will not take place this year, either, he added.