828 Vets dedicated to helping others
Warriors Walk set for Oct. 22
828 Vets will celebrate its one-year anniversary on Saturday, Oct. 22 with the first Warriors Walk.
The Warriors Walk, rescheduled from Oct. 1 due to inclement weather, will take place at the Tassee Shelter, located at 877 Ulco Drive from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The community is invited to attend the event, which will honor local veterans and celebrate the accomplishments of 828 Vets.
Participants will walk approximately 828 meters along the Little Tennessee Greenway. The route is an out-and-back with a round-trip distance of about a mile, making it a fairly easy trek for all. Walkers will complete the route and return to the Tassee Shelter for food and fellowship.
Organizer Starlett Henderson hopes the event will give the community a chance to show their patriotic camaraderie. “This is just a time to be together, commemorate our first year and engage the community in a common outdoor venue,” said Henderson. “Everyone is invited, not just veterans or those affiliated with the military.”
828 Vets is an organization run by veterans, for veterans. Their goal is to promote growth, awareness and success for veterans in business by offering resources, support, networking and community. In the last year, the organization has grown to include approximately 25 members who have worked to improve the lives of service members in our area.
“We’ve directly helped 14 veterans and veteran families in our area thus far, and are currently working with another family,” said Craig McManus, founder and director of 828 Vets. “We’ve provided assistance in the forms of deep cleaning, furnishing and moving homes of local veterans, clearing and leveling a driveway for an elderly veteran, donating laptops and helping locate resources for food for veterans in dire need.”
The group also spearheaded a clothing drive for the recent Smoky Mountains Veteran Stand Down. “We absolutely could not have done any of this without our amazing community who collectively donated the items which were rehomed to veterans in need,” said McManus. Several local businesses have supported 828 Vets since the beginning of their journey, including Bent Willow Bakery, Currahee Brewing, Root & Barrel, Lazy Hiker, Slanted Window, CareNet, Burningtown Storage and 3H Thrift Shop. Habitat for Humanity also partnered with 828 Vets to provide a veteran’s home with a new roof. “It’s been a great first year indeed,” said McManus.
828 Vets meets every Thursday at CareNet in Franklin on Bidwell Street. For more information about 828 Vets or the Warriors Walk, visit 828vets.com or like them on Facebook at 828 Vets.
Toys for Tots
This year also marks the first Christmas operation for 828 Vets Toys for Tots. When former director of Greater Smoky Mountains Toys for Tots Randy Hughes stepped down after 15 years, 828 Vets agreed to take over the campaign going forward. Now under the leadership of Jack Brennan, the organization is gearing up for the Christmas season.
“I volunteered to be the coordinator for multiple reasons, including the importance of supporting programs benefiting our community, the involvement of 828 Vets with local youth, and to provide the benefits of the Christmas experience to all children,” said Brennan.
Since the organization’s founding in 1947, Toys for Tots has become an essential part of the healing process for this country during the holiday season. Over 400,000 Americans lost their lives during World War II, leaving millions of families broken and hundreds of thousands of children in need. Brennan’s father, Col. Herbert Owen Brennan was killed in action while deployed in Vietnam – one week before the holiday season – leaving his mother to raise five children on her own.
“I understand how devastating the Thanksgiving and Christmas season can be under these circumstances, and what a great help the Toys for Tots Foundation provides to families in many uncomfortable personal cases or tragedies,” he said.
Celebrating its 75th year, the campaign began Oct. 1 and ends with the toy distribution Dec. 17-18 at CareNet in Franklin. Toys for Tots is one of the few foundations where 97% of all contributions reach the intended recipient. The support of the Marine Corps and volunteers reduces much of the required overhead, allowing for effective spending at the local level.
Donations are significant in assisting with the Macon County program’s operational costs and supplemental toys. The organization has also expanded to provide much-needed assistance programs in areas like ours.
“The new Literacy and Native American programs directly affect the Western North Carolina community,” said Brennan. “We intend to broaden the reach of these initiatives throughout our communities.”
828 Vets Toys for Tots is asking for donations and volunteers throughout the duration of its campaign. If you are interested in joining the list of volunteers, please email your contact information to JB@828Vets.com. If you are able to donate, make out checks to “Marine Toys for Tots” and mail to: Toys for Tots, c/o Vignette Realty, 53 East Main Street Suite J, Franklin, NC 28734.
For more information about Toys for Tots, contact JB@828Vets.com, 828-220-5242 or 828 Vets Toys for Tots on Facebook.
