Your club can thank veterans for their service to our country any time of the year with a Kids Care Clubs Patriotic Party.

To celebrate the "birthday" of the U.S. Marines on November 10th, the Armed Services YMCA Kids Care Club in Twentynine Palms, California came up with a special way to help all of the Marines or Sailors connected to the base celebrate the Marines' birthday.

Because of training, workups and deployment, the troops are unable to join any festivities. The club brought the party to the Marines by making special candy bouquets and goody bags along with hand-made birthday cards carrying a special message to each Marine or Sailor. They delivered their goodies to the troops at Camp Wilson, currently the largest military training area in the nation.

The Saxe Middle School Kids Care Club, of New Canaan, CT created their version of a Patriotic Party for area veterans by making a visit to cheer and honor the mostly blind veterans at the West Haven Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Before the visit, the Club wrote thank you notes to the veterans for their service to our country. They asked their fellow school families to donate phone cards for the veterans. They brought candy, cakes, brownies, flowers and flags. Some of the kids wore patriotic hats. At the Center, they read the thank you cards and sang patriotic songs. The veterans were very grateful for the visit.

Your club can create your own version of a Patriotic Party. Click on the KCC Visit our Veterans project for ideas and to learn how to make a Patriotic Placemat that will help club members engage veterans in conversation. Click on GOOD-Eat Bags for Veterans for ideas and to order free coupons for Quaker product.

Materials Needed:

• Paper for cards or a banner
• Items for GOOD-Eat Bags
• Patriotic decorations
• Song sheets if you plan a Sing-along
• Sheet cake (optional)

Steps Involved:

1. Contact a veterans' home or hospital. Tell them you would like to visit the veterans.
2. Ask if they have any specific needs (The Saxe Middle School KCC found out the veterans could use phone cards). Ask if there are any restrictions on the food you bring. If you are bringing cards, Patriotic Placemats or GOOD-Eat Bags, ask how many veterans are at their facility.
3. Plan enough time so that students can talk to veterans and listen to some of their stories.
4. After discussing with your club what a veteran is and what sacrifices veterans have made (See Issue Education), ask each student to make a thank-you card for one or more veterans, or
5. Write a poem of thanks for keeping our country free. Or, write about the flag, America, or any other patriotic theme.
6. Read your poems to the veterans when you visit or distribute a copy to each veteran, or
7. Have a sing-in with the veterans you visit. Get copies of the lyrics from the Internet (www.niehs.nih.gov/kids/musicpatriot.htm) or from your local library. Practice before your visit. Make a songbook or pass out song sheets to the veterans and sing your hearts out.