Blinded Vets Foundation Hosts 30th Annual Congressional Awards Ceremony
Flag Week Activities Include June 14 and June 16 Events
WASHINGTON, June 12, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Blinded American Veterans Foundation (BAVF) hosts its 30th annual Congressional Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, June 16, 2015, preceded by its annual Flag Day Picnic on June 14. The Congressional Awards Ceremony will take place at 11:30 a.m. in Room 334 of the Cannon House Office Building, while the picnic will be held in Silver Spring, MD. Both events are part of the Foundation's Flag Day observances honoring Members of Congress, the media, and volunteers.
"This is a special time of year for the Foundation," said BAVF President John Fales of Silver Spring, MD, "for it centers on the day our country pays tribute to the American flag. It also gives us the opportunity to honor those in Congress and the media who have helped the millions of men and women who were willing to put their lives on the line in defense of our flag and for all it stands, as well as thank some of the many, many volunteers who have helped the Foundation since its beginning."
At awards ceremonies on June 16, U.S. Representatives Janice Hahn (D-California) and Daniel Benishek (R-Michigan) will receive the Foundation's George "Buck" Gillispie Award for Meritorious Service. The BAVF's Carlton Sherwood Media Award will be presented to the Hon. Patrick Murphy, Anchor of the MSNBC program "Taking the Hill", and Kevin Wensing, a military and veterans' affairs advocate and advisor. The Foundation's George W. Alexander Memorial Volunteer Award will be presented to Ross Fletcher, M.D., Chief of Staff, Washington, D.C., Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and Shane Castillini-Sjtorm, a designer and landscaper. The Corporate Award will be presented to AMVETS, Department of Washington, D.C.
The Foundation's annual patriotic picnic attracts political figures, area civic leaders, veterans' services organization representatives, and the BAVF "family" of disabled and visually impaired veterans. Flags that were flown over the U.S. Capitol will be presented to many guests. As always, the picnic's famous hot dogs will be prepared and served by the gregarious Chef Lakis, a longtime Washington, D.C. fixture who has since retired from his cart at the northeast corner of 18th and K Streets, N.W.
The Blinded American Veterans Foundation assists blinded and sensory-disabled veterans in attaining their full potential through research, rehabilitation, and re-employment. It offers employment networking and rehabilitation and resource counseling, and provides funding for rehabilitation centers. Other programs include a speaker's bureau, placement services, and a compilation of related statistics. It also conducts research, educational, and charitable programs. This valuable service is performed strictly with volunteers and without a paid staff.
SOURCE Blinded American Veterans Foundation
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