Courtesy photos by Photos by Scott Gibson Photography
Veterans Week 2019 offers an array of popular events for all, including the 23nd Annual Military Ball on 11/2, Veterans Parade and Salute to Vets BBQ 11/9, and Veterans Day Ceremony 11/11 (Photos by Scott Gibson Photography)
SANTA BARBARA — Each November, the Santa Barbara community shows up in full force to recognize and honor the local men and women in uniform who have served our country. The community is welcomed once again to show their support at a number of patriotic Veterans Week events from November 2rd through the 11th, hosted by Pierre Claeyssens Veterans Foundation (PCVF).
On Saturday, November 2rd, dance the night away with veterans and active duty military members at the 23nd Annual Military Ball from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. The Ball will be held at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort (formerly The Fess Parker Doubletree Resort), 633 E. Cabrillo Blvd.
The Military Ball is a formal event where attendees can connect and celebrate during a lively evening complete with honoring women in the military and the Generations of Service Award recipients. Join us for an evening of live music, cocktail hour, silent auction, gourmet three-course dinner and dancing.
Guests will have a chance to bid on extraordinary historic artifacts among other items in a silent auction before the program begins.
This year’s theme is “Women in the Military;” the special guest speaker is Eilleen McDargh, a master facilitator, award-winning author, and internationally recognized presenter and executive coach. She will present “Momma Was a Wasp.” This is a look back into the untold story how 1,176 women flew for the military in WWII. Her mother, Mary Reinberg Burchard, was one of three women in med school in the 1930s; and served as a test pilot. She loved adventure travel as a member of the Women Airforce Service Pilots, WASPS, who flew every kind of airplane manufactured in the United States. The female pilots were considered “civilians” lacking military honor and benefits. They were finally recognized on March 9, 2010 with the Presidential Gold Medal, long after it was due.
Tickets to the Military Ball are $150 per guest. To request an invitation, call (805) 259-4394 or e-mail rsvp@pcvf.org.
On Saturday, November 9th, the Santa Barbara Veterans Parade, a free, star-spangled event you won’t soon forget, begins at 12 noon. The parade starts at the intersection of E. Sola and State and ends at the Carriage and Western Art Museum of Santa Barbara, 129 Castillo Street. The parade will feature WWII vehicles and re-enactors, and heroes from all branches of the military. Show your support for our veterans and watch the parade as it makes its way down State Street. For organizations that wish to join the parade, please visit www.pcvf.org and fill out the simple application. Participation is free!
In addition, on Saturday, November 9th, you are invited to join us at the 7th Annual Salute to Vets from noon to 5:00 p.m. at the Carriage and Western Art Museum of Santa Barbara, 129 Castillo Street. The Santa Barbara Veterans Foundation will host an afternoon complete with BBQ, live music, and military vehicles on display. Be sure to watch for the flyover of vintage airplanes in the sky above the event venue at approximately 1:30 pm!
Entry fee will be $20 covers entrance, meal, and a drink. Veterans and children under 12 are free. Contact Jerry Farmer at (805) 350-2006 for more information.
On Veteran’s Day, Monday, November 11th, join the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1649 and Pierre Claeyssens Veterans Foundation for a moving Veterans Day Ceremony starting at 10:00 a.m. at the Santa Barbara Cemetery, 901 Channel Dr. A keynote speaker and the San Marcos High School Madrigals will perform tributes for service members.
For more information on all of the Veterans Week activities, contact Pierre Claeyssens Veterans Foundation at (805) 259-4394 or email info@pcvf.org.
About Pierre Claeyssens Veterans Foundation: Pierre Claeyssens Veterans Foundation is committed to honoring the men and women who have served in U.S. military efforts. PCVF does this by supporting veterans and active duty members, and related partner organizations, in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties as well as preserving military history and legacy. The Foundation works to uphold Pierre Claeyssens’s vision that those who have served are “Never Forgotten.” PCVF is funded entirely by private donations. For more information, visit www.pcvf.org or call (805) 259-4394.