Community Spotlight: Junior Leagues of Manatee and Sarasota to Honor Vets with Luncheon

The Junior Leagues of Manatee and Sarasota Counties in partnership with Dolphin Aviation are hosting The Legacy of Valor Luncheon on Thursday, November 7, 2013 as part of the Legacy of Valor Campaign, honoring the service and sacrifice of veterans and their families.

The Legacy of Valor Luncheon will celebrate and honor area veterans for their military service and raise awareness of the year long Legacy of Valor campaign. It will also be

an opportunity to share current information about programs specifically designed to help veterans with those in attendance. The keynote speaker, who will be announced in May, will share an inspirational message to honor veterans, inspire patriotism and embrace freedom.

"We look forward to honoring our veterans at this very special luncheon and acting as a conduit for information pertaining to veterans," said Cheryl Burstein, Chair of the Luncheon and past president of The Junior League of Sarasota.

"By creating an atmosphere in red, white & blue décor, various color guards, bands, etc. it will create a patriotic tone and make the veterans and  guests feel proud about supporting the country, the veterans and active duty military."

The Legacy of Valor Luncheon is part of the Legacy of Valor Campaign. The Patterson Foundation created the Legacy of Valor campaign as an extension of its first-of-its-kind partnership with the National Cemetery Administration to design and construct Patriot Plaza at Sarasota National Cemetery.

Legacy of Valor highlights a series of community-driven partnerships to create a tapestry of events that educate, build enthusiasm and focus the community toward honoring veterans and their families, inspiring patriotism and embracing freedom. The year-long campaign culminates with the dedication of Patriot Plaza in spring 2014.

"This collaboration between the Junior League of Sarasota and the Junior League of Manatee County is unique because it is the first such cooperative effort between our two organizations.  We are excited about constructing new synergies between our organizations, reaching a wider audience and creating new realities in our community. We are also thrilled to be working with Dolphin Aviation, whose owner, Ron Ciaravella, is passionate about supporting veterans," said Cheryl.

The Legacy of Valor Luncheon will take place onThursday, November 7, 2013 at 11:00 am, at Dolphin Aviation located at 8191 North Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34243.

For more information about the Junior Leagues of Manatee and Sarasota, visit www.jrleaguemanatee.org and www.jlsarasota.org.