Balloon Brigade! SOT volunteers (left to right): Kathy Johnson, Terry Baggott, Connie Karlowicz, Lizzie Wickert, and Patti Smith
Support Our Troops (SOT) annual Veterans Day Silent Auction raised $35,800!
Every Veteran’s Day from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Support Our Troops members are stationed at the clubhouse amid hundreds of items displayed for the Silent Auction fundraiser. Thanks to the generosity of our donors and patrons, SOT experienced the most successful auction to date, and 100% of these proceeds will go to provide for the material, physical, and emotional needs of our active-duty military personnel at home and abroad.
“We made a lot of changes this year in an attempt to bring focus to what we do,” said Margaret Olander, Silent Auction Committee chair. “There’s a lot happening in the world right now, and we’re already showing an increase in our deployed military member enrollment. Strong fundraising makes sure we can meet their requests, because we never know what they’ll need.” In the past, SOT has fulfilled wishes for improved equipment and gear, as standard issue isn’t always optimal. Of course, snacks are always included, and one time pool cues were provided! Apparently, there was a pool table at a base but no cues to play with!
Clearly, Robson residents like to play, too! The addition of a Wine Pull added a fun, instantaneous reward. Raffle patrons took a chance to double their tickets for only $5 if they could beat the dealer in blackjack—with a twist, of course. They shot a Nerf gun at scattered cards in a frame! But the best part of the raffle was that the winner, Viemarie Knouse, donated all of the $1,000 prize to charitable organizations, including $250 to SOT!
Before all the fun began, SOT President Scott Cooksey led a ceremony to honor all veterans near the flag at Veterans Park. Quilts of Valor, an organization not affiliated with Robson Ranch, asked to participate, as one of their recipients was Robson resident Charles Utzman. Learn more about Quilts of Valor at their website, www.qovf.org.
Robson residents who have someone close to them serving as active-duty U.S. service members (home or abroad) are encouraged to add their names to our recipient list! Learn more at our website, www.supportourtroopstexas.com.