The fourth annual Veterans Salute is less a week away, and the Hinesville Military Affairs Committee is busy finalizing plans to guarantee the event’s success. In addition to the motorcycle show, sponsored by Savannah PowerSports Center, there will be a Battle of the Bands competition.
Veterans Salute will include live entertainment, food and drink booths, craft vendors, cornhole, a 50/50 raffle, silent auction, a motorcycle show with prizes, and the battle of the bands. The festival runs from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5 at Bryant Commons, 438 West Oglethorpe Highway, in downtown Hinesville. Admission and parking are free, but proceeds from the vendor fees, raffle tickets and other activities will go toward the construction of Veterans Memorial Walk at Bryant Commons.
Once completed, the monument will consist of an outer walking path that encircles a small pond. Tributes to each branch of service — Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard — will be spaced around the path. Flags from each branch and the American flag will be displayed at the entrance to the walk. A tribute to prisoners of war and those missing in action will provide the memorial’s centerpiece within the pond. The 92nd Engineer Battalion has pledged a considerable amount of in-kind work and will take the lead on the first phase of the memorial’s construction.
We’re excited to see construction of the Veterans Memorial Walk at Bryant Commons under way. Many people have worked hard for a long time to see this project come to fruition. It’s a fantastic way to honor our community’s military veterans, and we’re grateful to all of our generous donors, planners and supporters.
Booth spaces are still available, according to vendor coordinator Melinda Schneider. Anyone interested in selling goods and merchandise at Veterans Salute should contact Schneider at email yellowbowlady@coastalnow.net or 912-271-1702.
The motorcycle show will award prizes in nine categories – Best of Show, Best Cruiser, Best Sport Bike, Best Custom Paint, Best Light Display, Mayor’s Award, General’s Award, Sponsor’s Award and the most well-represented bike club. On-site registration is $20, and all proceeds benefit the Veterans Memorial Walk. The show is sponsored by Savannah PowerSports Center. To register, call Christina Anthony of United Military Care at 912-877-1340 or email christina.anthony@unitedmilitarycare.org.
For more information on the Memorial Walk, go to www.veteransmemorialhinesville.com. For more information on the fourth annual Veterans Salute, call the Hinesville Downtown Development Authority at 912-877-4332 or email mricketson@hinesvilledowntown.com.