Remember-A-Vet campaign benefiting patients at Battle Creek VA continues through Jan. 1

Greyson Steele, Battle Creek Enquirer
·2 min read
American Legion Auxiliary volunteers pick out gifts for patients at the Battle Creek VA Medical Center. The 2023 Remember-A-Vet campaign continues through Jan. 1.
American Legion Auxiliary volunteers pick out gifts for patients at the Battle Creek VA Medical Center. The 2023 Remember-A-Vet campaign continues through Jan. 1.

BATTLE CREEK — A 70-year-old program aimed at bringing cheer to patients at the Battle Creek Veterans Affairs Medical Center is seeking additional donations through the end of the year.

The 2023 Remember-A-Vet campaign kicked off on Thanksgiving Day and has raised $7,500 as of Friday, according to Todd Greenman, chief of community and volunteer services at the Battle Creek VA Medical Center. The campaign continues through Jan. 1.

Last year, the program raised more than $26,000.

"It’s important for them to be remembered," Greenman said of veterans at the hospital. "Many of them don’t have family members or close relatives nearby, so they really appreciate the gifts that are given to them."

Money raised for Remember-A-Vet is used to provide coupon books which can be spent by patients to make purchases at the canteen or cafeteria. The coupon books are given to all in-patients on seven holidays: Memorial Day, Valentine's Day, Easter, July 4, Labor Day, Veterans Day and Christmas. Gift bags are given to patients confined to the mental health units.

Remember-A-Vet was launched by Art Middleton, a veteran and reporter/editor at the Enquirer. Middleton proposed the program in a Dec. 13, 1953, column as a way to provide some holiday cheer for military veterans who could not leave the hospital. Middleton said he had the idea after a reader asked how she and some friends could send Christmas gifts to veterans who were patients.

Art Middleton served in World War II before he became a reporter and editor for the Battle Creek Enquirer and News.
Art Middleton served in World War II before he became a reporter and editor for the Battle Creek Enquirer and News.

Middleton died in 1971 and his wife continued supporting the program until her death a few years ago. His daughter, Pam Lajoie, and granddaughter, Shannon Cochran, both employed at the VA, are now supporters of the program.

"It’s really overwhelming to see the response that we get from individuals, organizations and other groups that continue, every year, to support the program," Greenman said. "I know that our veterans really appreciate it and thank us for what we can provide them through this program."

Donations should be sent directly to the VA and checks should be made out to the Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Include a notation on the check or in a separate note that the money is for Remember-A-Vet.

Mail the checks to: Battle Creek VA Medical Center, Community and Volunteer Services, 5500 Armstrong Road, Battle Creek, MI 49037

Names of all those making donations will be published on the VA website beginning in January.

"We’re very fortunate to have a military-minded community here in Battle Creek," Greenman said. "People really do want to support our veterans."

The 2023 campaign will continue through Jan. 1, but Greenman said donations for Remember-A-Vet are accepted year-round.

Contact reporter Greyson Steele at gsteele@battlecreekenquirer.com

This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: Remember-A-Vet collections continue through Jan. 1