LIMA, Ohio (WLIO) — Hundreds of local veterans and their families gathered Saturday for the fifth annual Allen County Veterans Family Picnic, an event designed to celebrate military service while connecting attendees with resources available throughout the county.
Hosted by the Allen County Veterans Services Commission, the picnic featured free meals, raffles, family-friendly activities and opportunities for veterans to learn about programs and services available to them.
Organizers said the event continues to grow each year and serves as a way to thank veterans for their service while providing a day of fun for their families.
“It's a really good feeling to see people. I came in and there's a bubble machine over on the side and I saw some kids just laughing and giggling and I see people in the food lines and people it's just it makes you feel wonderful. It's overwhelming actually just to see all of this and to see that we're making an impact," said Tamara Wilson, executive director of the Allen County Veterans Services Commission.
The picnic is one of several events the commission holds throughout the year for local veterans.
“This is the second of our big event for the year. You know, we have this and then we have the Allen County Fair’s Veterans Day. We also have a Christmas party that we have for the veterans to come in and get some gifts and stuff and enjoy themselves. But yeah, it's been a long time coming. We've finally are at the stage now where we can do this and hopefully can continue this as long as we have the property taxes. Because if that goes away, it's going to hurt us,” said Bill King, Allen County Veterans Services commissioner.
In addition to food and entertainment, representatives from various veterans’ organizations attended the event to help veterans sign up for programs and learn more about services available in Allen County.
