Good News - May 2019

OUT AND ABOUT 36 MAY 2019 Good News • South Florida Edition Veterans Honored with Quilts of Valor United Way of Broward County’s MISSION UNITED, in partnership with the South Florida Coalition of Quilts of Valor Quilters, comprised of members of Gold Coast Quil- ters Guild and Quilt Guild by the Sea, honored 44 veterans who have been touched by war at the Welcome Home Ceremony and Quilts of Valor Presentation on March 21 at the Pompano Beach Cultural Center. The 44 military veterans were presented with a locally- made quilt. These veterans have all had at least one deploy- ment to a wartime theater or combat zone and represented multiple eras including WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Kosovo, Bosnia, Gulf War, Iraq and Afghanistan. Prior to the ceremony, the Honor Guard from Pompano Beach High School’s JROTC, led by Lieutenant Colonel Gre- gory Johnson, presented the col- ors. The national anthem was performed by PeteDeJesse, mil- itary father, U.S. Air Force, and the Invocation was led by Ben Sorensen, Vice Mayor of Fort Lauderdale and Lieutenant Commander, U.S. Navy. WWII Veteran SidRosenblatt, aUnited Way of Broward County MIS- SION UNITED volunteer, who received a Quilt of Valor at the 2017 inaugural program, spoke to the veterans and local com- munity members in attendance on what it meant to him to re- ceive a Quilt of Valor. Since re- ceiving his quilt in 2017, Sid has presented Quilts of Valor to two of his childrenwho are also com- bat veterans – one who served in Vietnam and a second who served as a Green Beret in the current Gulf War and recently re- tired frommilitary service. During the ceremony, the veterans were called up by name and escorted to the stage by members of the Patriot Guard Riders. Each quilter then graciously presented the veteran with their quilt by wrapping it around them. Carol Stoltenberg, Bob Green, Jane Gavlic, Stanley Gavlick