Riverfest charity breakfast to benefit veterans

BY PCC STAFF

FORT MADISON - Once again the annual charity breakfast that takes place as part of the final day of Riverfest will benefit area veterans.

The third annual breakfast will take place from 8 a.m. til noon Sunday, Aug. 5th under the big tent in Fort Madison’s Riverview Park. All of the proceeds raised on the day of the breakfast will be used to send Tri State Area Veterans on the Great River Honor Flight to Washington D.C. in order to visit the Military Memorials.

American Legion Post 82 in Fort Madison is staffing the breakfast this year and will be doing the cooking and serving.

Dan Vice, the local Commander of the post, said the honor flights is the post's top priority for funds raised.

“Each year raising funds for the Honor Flight is our number one Community Project. When Riverfest approached us about again being the beneficiary of this year’s breakfast we were delighted to stay involved. This event will help launch our annual campaign for the Honor Flight.”

Last year’s breakfast raised a little more than $3,200.00, enough to send 8 vets on the trip.

The menu for this year's breakfast will feature sausage patties, scrambled eggs, hash browns, biscuits and gravy, pancakes, coffee, orange juice, and milk. The cost of the breakfast will be a free will donation to The Great River Honor Flight. In addition, Shuttle Service will be available from the Riverview Park parking lots to the breakfast site.

Vice said sponsors for the breakfast will cover the actual cost of the event.

“We would like to thank Fareway Food Stores, the American Legion, and the Fort Madison Elks Lodge for getting involved. Because of their support, 100 percent of the money raised at the breakfast will help send up to 10 Lee County Veterans on the Honor Flight. We are hoping for a big crowd and would like to invite everyone to stop in and support our Veterans.”

Riverfest is a four-day celebration of music and family fun on the Fort Madison Riverfront from August 2nd-5th with national musical acts, local vendors, competitive games, dragon boat racing, and carnival food and fun.