What started as an idea to hold a Mother’s Day event at VFW Post 5290 in Conyers, Ga., turned into an event Post members believe was the “best event the Post had ever hosted.”
Three Gold Star families in June attended a luncheon hosted at VFW Post 5290, which Senior Vice Commander Jim Closs said was difficult to put together. But he also said, “It was worth every second” spent on putting it together. Closs said that after contacting Army officials and going through a vetting process, three Gold Star families accepted invitations to the luncheon.
“There was a lot of enthusiasm with members of the Post for this event,” said Closs, a retired Air Force master sergeant. “Interest seemed to skyrocket for this lunch. Even I got more enthusiastic as we approached the date.”
Members of VFW Post 5290 met with the Gold Star families on June 22 for the luncheon Closs said was provided by a local restaurant and grocery store, which saved the Post $900.
“We were able to solicit more than $900 in community contributions, and everyone had such a great time,” Closs said. “One of the Gold Star wives remarried, and her husband is a gentleman who loved to entertain. And a Gold Star mother of another family had a niece who is a professional comedian. It was all impromptu, making it such a phenomenal event.”
Gold Star families are defined as a parent, spouse, sibling or child of a military member who became missing in action or died because of their service during a war period.
This article is featured in the 2024 July/August issue of VFW Checkpoint.