More than 3,000 people came to the Armed Forces Retirement Home on July 4 for a gala event that connected the community with veterans in celebrating America’s independence. The sixth annual gathering was the first one since 2014 that didn’t have significant rain — and hence, it was a record turnout. Large numbers of children loved roaming on the green expanse of the golf driving range.
Many kids played in the bounce house while others competed in the contest for most patriotic outfit. Families enjoyed fishing at the well-stocked Soldiers Home pond. Adults mingled and enjoyed food and drink while listening to the Home’s resident DJ, Billy White, spin top tunes. Best of all, a record number of residents of the Soldiers Home joined in the celebration!
Friends of the Soldiers Home is grateful to residents and staff of the Home, the Nam Knights Capital Chapter, Anheuser Busch and DCCX bike group for helping to make the event so successful.
Photos by Lou Avenilla and Isabelle Hughes.
Happy New Year! Before celebrating 2017, we gathered for our final volunteer event in 2016 — Happy Hour, which was held between Christmas and New Years Day. Friends of the Soldiers Home gathered with Nam Knights’ Washington Chapter and the Kindness Corps for a wonderful time of sharing drinks, jokes and conversation with friends we’ve all made at the Armed Forces Retirement Home-Washington. The residents were glad to see the friends and volunteers who assisted, and we were g
The holidays are upon us, as evidenced by the lighting of the 16-foot Christmas tree at a gala celebration at Soldiers Home-DC the evening of Tuesday, Dec. 6. Santa was there, as were cadets from Magruder High School in Rockville, Md. Friends of the Soldiers Home, in honor of its 5th anniversary, presented the Home with a special holiday gift — a neon sign that will become a permanent fixture in the Defender’s Inn saloon on campus. The sign says in part, “AFRH-W, FOSH slautes you,” as a sign of permanent gratitude from Friends of the Soldiers Home to residents of the Armed Forces Retirement Home-Washington.
It rained and rained for the wettest July 4 of our five annual festivals held on this day. But the weather didn’t stop 1,500 hearty souls from coming out and enjoying DJ extraoridinaire Billy White and the awesome Music Messiahs band. Small children ran fast and free on the expansive driving range while many tried their luck at the fishing hole — and they found they had good luck indeed in such grey weather. We are grateful that Roaming Chicken and Captain Cookie food trucks came out despite the poor conditions. Lots of people enjoyed the treats and cold beer from the beer truck. We are so happy also that many Armed Forces Retirement Home-DC residents and staff braved the conditions to enjoy the day! We are particularly grateful to all of you on July 4! The day would not have been possible without the support of the Nam Knights and all of our other volunteers, and our sponsors, Anheuser-Busch and DCCX. Thank you all! And just as we were all about to enjoy the fireworks down on the Mall, mist and fog rolled in over the tree tops, showing that on July 4, 2016, Mother Nature indeed had the last word. But wetness didn’t dampen any spirits and we are so happy that so many from the community came out to celebrate Independence Day!
Friends of the Soldiers Home 