BROOKINGS The Brookings Police Department will host its third annual Veterans Thanksgiving Meal on Nov. 16. All local veterans and their families are welcome to attend the free meal prepared and served by BPD uniformed and civilian staff.
The event will take place from 4:30 to 7 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church Community Life Center at 625 Fifth St. A social hour with coffee and cookies will start at 4:30 p.m. Care in the Community VA will give a brief presentation at 4:45 p.m. A welcome by BPD Chief Michael Drake, the posting of colors, and the Pledge of Allegiance will follow, with dinner service starting at 5:15 p.m.
The event is more than a meal, said Detective Geoffrey Pollman.
Food has a special way of connecting people. With this gathering, we want to remember and honor our local veterans sacrifices and service to our country,” he said. “We want to help them connect with others and feel a strong sense of community.
Pollman serves as a BPD liaison to veterans programs and resources in Brookings. He is a major and operations officer in the South Dakota Army National Guards 153rd Engineer Battalion based in Huron.
Everyone at the Brookings Police Department appreciates this opportunity to show our gratitude for our local veterans, Pollman said. With Veterans Day on Nov. 11 and Thanksgiving on Nov. 27, this event seems like the perfect time and way for us to do that.
The BPD is grateful to the organizations that offered to sponsor the meal. Sponsors are: Bowes Construction, Brookings Hy-Vee, Homestead Meats, Hometown Service & Tire, Johnsons Pro Clean, Outdoor Design & Landscaping, Perkins Restaurant, Valley Restaurant, Westall Electric, and Military Order of the Purple Heart.
Veterans Day, a day that honors all veterans, is observed annually on Nov. 11.
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