Show you care through the Pike Road Valentines for Veterans Card Drive
More than 500 veterans will have a smile on their face next month following the Pike Road Valentines for Veterans Card Drive.
Pike Road has been collecting cards for veterans for more than a decade. The 2022 card collection drive begins Jan. 24 and ends Feb. 10.
Those participating in the drive can buy a card, make a card, pick up a card at Town Hall, or print a card from the town’s website at pikeroad.us/events-1/valentines-for-veterans-card-drive-3.
“All we ask is that you add a kind word or sweet note to personalize the cards,” town communications specialist Turner Waddell said, adding that cards can be dropped off in a special mailbox located at Town Hall, 9575 Vaughn Road, on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
In partnership with the Central Alabama Veterans Healthcare System, the card drive tradition continues as one of several annual efforts showing the community’s appreciation for veterans. The town also holds the Veterans Appreciation Ceremony each November, and a Season of Giving Holiday Collections Drive for veterans in December.
In 2021, the town received more than 500 cards for local veterans. The cards are delivered to the Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System (CAVHCS) which has teams who distribute them.
Many veterans are not seeing as many visitors as normal while challenges with COVID continue, making the card drive even more significant.
“It is more important than ever to share a kind and encouraging word whenever we can. Our partnership with the CAVHCS provides meaningful opportunities to show our appreciation and reach out to safely touch the lives of our local veterans,” Waddell said. “There is nothing like sharing a smile with your neighbor, and that’s exactly what our Valentines for Veterans Card Drive does. With help from CAVHCS, these cards are sure to brighten the days of veterans across Alabama.”
The town has been excited to see a growing number of community groups and organizations, including local churches, Pike Road Schools, and civic organizations participating in the card drive.
“We are pleased to have a veterans-related activity almost every quarter in Pike Road. In addition, we are looking to increase our connectivity with the military community because it’s a vital part of the River Region,” Pike Road Mayor Gordon Stone said. “Our military presence is a critical part of what we have here in Montgomery County, and we want to make sure we show appreciation to those who have served, and those who are serving today. We will continue to make it an emphasis to work with the Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System and communicate our love and our appreciation to our veterans.”
The 2021 Season of Giving Holiday Collections Drive also was a great success, Waddell said. “We received an outpouring of donations for our local veterans, including warm-weather clothes, personal hygiene items, and more. We also received a great number of donations for the food pantry at Woodland United Methodist Church,” she said.
Waddell encourages those taking part in the card drive to share any photos of their creative work by using #mypikeroad and/or tagging @townofpikeroad on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Show you care through the Pike Road Valentines for Veterans Card Drive
