The Lakeland Veterans Center hosts a special Veterans Day ceremony on campus at 11 a.m., Thursday, Nov. 11, 2021. The ceremony will take place at the Lakeland Veterans Memorial outside the athletic and fitness center (Y-Building) and is open to the public.

A short, meaningful ceremony will take place to honor the men and women who have fought and served in our armed forces. Guest keynote speaker Dan Troy, Ohio House of Representatives, district 60, U.S. Army veteran from 1970-1976, will lead the ceremony with a special address. The ceremony will end with the retirement of the American flag, an event rarely viewed by the public.

“The flag retirement ceremony is a fitting tribute to our veterans,” says S. Rhonda Osagie-Erese, the Lakeland Veterans Program Coordinator. “Retiring the American flag in a proper ceremony is a respectful expression of patriotism that I hope will help enhance the public’s understanding of the honor due our veterans and flag.”

Following the ceremony, guests are invited to stay for refreshments; to meet community guests including representatives of Project Healing Waters, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and local recruitment offices; and join a raffle benefiting the Lakeland chapter of Student Veterans of America (SVA). Lakeland’s SVA is a nationally ranked chapter, and proceeds from the raffle will help provide resources to continue their record of excellence on the national stage.

By: Adam Continenza, Mktg and Communications Spclst