Veterans Day Ceremony

All area Veterans and their families are invited to Hines VA at 10 a.m. on Friday as Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner addresses our Veterans. Our hospital director, Steven Braverman, M.D., will present certificates of recognition to Veterans from the various wars and conflicts as a symbol of our thanks to all Veterans for their service.

Following the ceremony, the Proviso West JROTC Color Guard, Miss Illinois USA, Karolina Jasko, Miss Illinois Teen USA, Sydni Bennett, and Chicago Bears’ mascot, Staley, will lead our Veterans in a brief walking parade near the front of the hospital while the Chicago Bears Drumline performs. The parade route ends near our tents in the north visitors parking lot where we will have live entertainment and free flu shots for enrolled Veterans in one tent, and our Veterans resource fair in the other.

Bernie Kampf and Bob “Slim” Rader of Guitars For Vets will provide live entertainment. Guitars For Vets is a non-profit organization that provides free guitar lessons to Veterans at Hines and VA facilities across the nation.

Our national anthem will be sung by Agne Giedraityte, a 15-year old classical artist from Chicago and a rising talent in the classical music community.

Resource fair participants include:

• Illinois Dept. of Veterans Affairs
• Veterans Benefits Association
• Cook County Recorder of Deeds (Veterans Discount Card)
• Greater Chicago Food Depository and AmeriCorps (Hines Food Pantry)
• Oak Park Vet Center
• Aurora Vet Center
• Hines Compensated Work Therapy Program
• AllenForce
• Fisher House
• Hines Transition & Care Management Program
• Hines MyHealtheVet Program
• Hines Patient Administrative Services