BCISD student groups hosting Veterans Day meal Nov. 14

The Bulldog Bros and Dynamic Diva Dawgs honor local veterans with a dinner Thursday, Nov. 14, from 4-5:30 p.m. at the Vanderveer Street Church of Christ, 102 Vanderveer St. in Burnet. The annual meal is free to veterans and their families.

The official Veterans Day holiday was Monday, Nov. 11.

The two Burnet Consolidated Independent School District after-school programs for grades 3-6 focus on character building. 

“We empower these young kids with courage, confidence, and character through community service,” said Darlene Denton, BCISD’s parent liaison and program organizer. “They are eager and anxious to serve; they just need someone to lead them and give them the platform. That’s my job.”

The students and adult volunteers will prepare and serve a dinner of chicken enchiladas, chips with salsa, salad, and dessert on Thursday. Guests can eat on site or pick up to-go boxes.

“We have been doing this veterans dinner for nine years now,” Denton said. “We decorate patriotic, and we encourage the kids to sit and visit with the guests to hear their stories.”

Guest speaker Ron Watson of Kerrville will present a lesson, dressed in colonial garb, on the nation’s founding fathers and give young attendees a chance to reflect on the sacrifices of service members.

“Patriotism is something I feel has been lost because our kids seem ‘far removed’ from the Greatest Generation and the sacrifices that those men and women made for our freedoms,” Denton said. “The beauty of this meal is that we have education and service at the same time.”

More than 300 guests attended last year’s dinner. Organizers are encouraging the community to support the event by donating food such as tortilla chips, desserts, and salad fixings or helping with preparation and cleanup.

Contact the BCISD Central Office at 512-756-2124 or Darlene Denton at ddenton@burnetcisd.net for more information or to volunteer.

elizabeth@thepicayune.com