Thanksgiving for the Troops Moves to Battleship NJ
A longstanding tradition in Cherry Hill won’t happen this year, but local veterans groups are still holding a turkey day feast for their own
For the first time in a decade, the annual Thanksgiving for the troops dinner put on by the Spevak family and Jewish War Veterans Post 126 at the Palace of Asia has been canceled—but not for lack of support.
With deployments from Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst winding down, there just wasn’t a need for a huge event this year, post Commander Perry Levine said in a statement.
“Hosting and entertaining over 2,500 soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines who were apart from their families while defending our great nation has been a great honor,” he said. “In 2014, we will reevaluate the need to provide entertainment and a traditional Thanksgiving dinner for our troops that has made South Jersey proud these past nine years.”
Though that event may be off, it doesn’t mean there won’t be any effort to recognize veterans this year—the Spevaks and Post 126 are helping to support an effort put on by the Battleship New Jersey and the Camden County freeholders on Thanksgiving morning.
Volunteers will offer active-duty personnel from the Joint Base, as well as homeless veterans in the area, a full-course meal in the battleship’s crew mess.
“We feel that offering these brave men and women a hot Thanksgiving meal with all of the trimmings is the very least we can do to express our gratitude for their service to our country,” said freeholder Ed McDonnell, liaison to Camden County’s Office of Veterans Affairs. “Their faithful duty to our nation makes us all truly thankful for these heroes on this holiday.”
Locals who want to turn out to help welcome veterans and active-duty personnel can gather at 10:30 a.m. at the battleship. Free parking will be available in Lot 2, across from the Susquehanna Bank Center.
Cherry Hill councilwoman Melinda Kane encouraged anyone who’s available to come out and say thanks.
“It’s a great way to spend the holiday and really be thankful for what we have,” she said.
http://cherryhill.patch.com/groups/holidays/p/thanksgiving-for-the-troops-moves-to-battleship-nj