Veterans Day Events Poised to Honor Servicemen and Women and Serve the Denver Community

Veterans Green Jobs Hosts First Annual Breakfast and A Volunteer Service Project in Downtown Denver

Nov. 3, 2010, Denver, Colo. – Veterans Green Jobs, a national nonprofit dedicated to connecting veterans with meaningful opportunities in the green jobs economy, has organized two events for Veterans Day, November 11, that community members are invited to join. In the morning, Veterans Green Jobs will host its first annual fundraising breakfast, followed by an afternoon clean-up of Confluence Park, a volunteer service project organized in partnership with ServiceNation: Mission Serve, Denver Parks and Recreation, the Governor’s Commission on Community Service and the Sierra Club.

Veterans Day Breakfast
Veterans Green Jobs’ first annual fundraising breakfast was created to reflect on, honor and applaud the generations of military veterans who have faithfully and bravely served our nation.

Colonel Randy A. George has been selected to be the keynote speaker. He is the U.S. Army fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), a New York City-based nonpartisan think-tank and publisher that specializes in foreign policy matters. Col. George most recently served as commander of the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division (Task Force Mountain Warrior) in Afghanistan, working on national security strategy formulation and implementation. He participated in the initial invasion of Iraq and served two subsequent Operation Iraqi Freedom tours as a battalion commander and as an adviser to the Multi-National Corps Commander.

Breakfast benefit details:
When: Thursday, November 11, 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.
Where: The historic Mile High Station, 2027 W Lower Colfax Ave. (adjacent to Invesco Field)

The carefully preserved Mile High Station building was built as a steel and iron foundry in 1897 – and ultimately manufactured and supplied ship parts for the U.S. Navy during World War II. Serving as emcee will be Dr. John Torres, news reporter from Channel 9-KUSA and a U.S. Air Force veteran who served in Iraq. Key sponsors include Weston Solutions, Inc. and Eagle Rock Supply Co.

Individual tickets for this fundraiser cost $30. Tables of 10 range from $350 to $10,000. Interested sponsors and attendees may contact 720-236-1300, X5506, or sign up online: http://veteransgreenjobs.org/newsandevents/events/veterans-day-breakfast.

Confluence Park Clean-Up
In the spirit of the unfailing service that veterans are accustomed to giving to their country, Veterans Green Jobs has partnered with ServiceNation: Mission Serve, Denver Parks and Recreation, the Governor’s Commission on Community Service and the Sierra Club to clean up Confluence Park and connected green spaces along city trails adjacent to Platte River and Cherry Creek.

“After returning from serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, many veterans are seeking ways to continue to serve their country in meaningful ways,” says Garett Reppenhagen, director of Veterans Development for Veterans Green Jobs. “This sense of service is one of the critical elements of our military institutions. Beyond individual actions and defined roles within the military branches, it is the willingness to serve our nation that lends pride to military personnel and veterans. Providing service to our local community on Veterans Day honors that tradition.”

Community service project details:
When: Thursday, November 11, 12:00 noon
Where: Shoemaker Plaza, located behind the REI Flagship Store at 1416 Platte Street in Lower Downtown (LoDo)

Joining the kickoff activity for this project will be the Honorable Robert Gordon III, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy, an officer in the U.S. Army and a civilian-leader. Gordon will make a special guest appearance and speak to participants about the importance, power and value of volunteering.

Community members interested in volunteering will be asked to register for this activity upon arriving. Warm refreshments will be offered. Garbage bags and pickers will be provided by Denver Parks and Recreation. This event will happen rain or shine, so volunteers are asked to dress appropriately.

Confluence Park is an urban park located in Denver’s LoDo, where two pedestrian bridges cross the South Platte River and Cherry Creek. Confluence Park marks the area where gold was discovered in 1858 and has previously been home to an Excel Energy Substation that was moved to allow for expansion of a public recreation area. Today, Confluence Park is central to the Denver’s green space, city bike and trail system.

Any individual, company or organization interested in sponsoring or collaborating in this event may contact Garett Reppenhagen at Garett@veteransgreenjobs.org / 719-235-7030.