Samaritan Healthcare & Hospice Celebrates Veterans Day with Lions Gate Residents

Samaritan Thanks Lions Gate Veterans for Their Service

Samaritan Healthcare & Hospice, along with Jewish Family & Children’s Services, sponsored a special event for veterans at Lions Gate Retirement Community on Thursday, November 10, 2011 to thank them for their service and sacrifice.

The event, during National Hospice Month, is part of Samaritan Healthcare & Hospice’s Veterans Outreach initiative to show gratitude for veterans’ service and build awareness for the community resources they have earned through their service.

Warriors Watch Riders Arrival

Festivities included a dramatic motorcycle arrival of Warrior Watch Riders to the courtyard outside the glass-walled program venue:

Warriors Watch Rider member shows his bike to a Lions Gate resident. She even tried to get on!

Honor Guard from Cherry Hill Chapter #126 of the Jewish War Veterans:

Veterans and their families show their patriotism.

Presenting Veterans with Special Samaritan Cares for Vets Pin

Pinning of all veterans in attendance with a lapel pin created by Samaritan Healthcare & Hospice and a yellow ribbon presented by the Yellow Ribbon Club and Warriors Watch Riders to thank veterans for their service.

Sherri Hilt, Samaritan Professional Relations Manager, thanks a Jewish War Veteran for their service by giving them a special Samaritan Veterans pin and a yellow ribbon.

 

Yellow Ribbon Club Member Speaks to the Audience

Guest speaker James Ewen, member of the Yellow Ribbon Club  and members of the Warriors’ Watch Riders, two not-for-profit groups who volunteer to meet returning military members and provide a motorcycles escort home as a celebratory welcome:

James Ewan, a proud Marine and member of the Yellow Ribbon Club, speaks to Lions Gate residents about the Yellow Ribbon Club, his experiences as a Vietnam veteran and what it's like to welcome home current veterans.

Warriors Watch Riders: "We have your back at home"

Patriotic Songs to Delight the Lions Gate Crowd

Samaritan Volunteer Kristina Coia, a local singer/songwriter, performed patriotic music during the ceremony and lead a sing-a-long of patriotic songs:

Kristina Coia, Samaritan voluteer, leads residents in a sing-a-long of Yankee Doodle Dandy. Other songs included From a Distance, Grand Old Flag and Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy.

Dancing in the aisles!

A Colorful Close to the Presentation 

An American flag made of red, white and blue cupcakes — was served.

A festive treat to end the celebration

For more information about how Samaritan cares for veterans, please visit our website.
Click here to view more event photos.

If you know a veteran and would like to give them one of our Samaritan Cares for Vets pins/bookmarkers, please contact Christine Alston at christine.alston@SamaritanHealthcareNJ.org or 856-552-3258.