On Saturday, November 9, the Village of Robbins, situated in the southern suburbs of Chicago, hosted its third annual event honoring veterans at Thomas J. Kellar Middle School, located at 14123 Lydia Avenue, Robbins, Illinois.
The event was sponsored by Humana Healthcare. A health insurance provider that prides itself on ensuring seniors, veterans, and school-aged children live connected, healthy lives by removing unnecessary barriers in healthcare.
This affair was expertly hosted by Kendall Perry, the Director of the Robbins Park District, who skillfully took on multiple roles, from setting up the music to announcing the raffle winners. The prizes were impressive, featuring flat 65-inch TVs, gift cards, and a diverse assortment of gift baskets.
The entertainment was provided by the talented singer/songwriter Jordan Carizzmo Rivers of the Karizmatics, who energized the crowd with his captivating performance. It was incredible to see seniors and veterans rise from their seats and dance to his infectious soulful sound.
With over 300 attendees, the event featured a delicious complimentary meal that everyone thoroughly enjoyed.
Additionally, other vendors at the event handed out brochures and booklets about their services to the attendees.
The community gathered for a significant ceremony to honor veterans, recognizing their contributions to society with special gifts. Vernard L. Alsberry Jr., the Mayor of Hazel Crest, had the distinguished role of presenting medals to the veterans during the event.
This occasion served not only to acknowledge the sacrifices made by these individuals but also to foster a sense of appreciation and respect for their service to the nation.
Patryce Shepherd provided, “today’s event at Robbins Park District and Community Center, the seniors and veterans were amazing. We here at Humana are excited and privileged that we had the opportunity to sponsor the event. We also had an opportunity to honor the veterans in a pendant ceremony. We love being in the community. This is who we are and this is what we do!”
“Coming out here has been truly inspirational. I love spending time with seniors and veterans. As a veteran myself, meeting other veterans energizes me. My primary focus is ensuring that everyone has access to justice and that everyone is treated fairly and with respect in the courtroom,” Judge Sheree D. Henry expressed.
Robbins’ Mayor, Darren E. Bryant, made a special appearance at the event, taking a moment to express his heartfelt gratitude to Humana and all the attendees for their contributions in making the day truly memorable for the veterans. He emphasized the importance of honoring those who have served and was thrilled to witness the joy and happiness of the residents.
The atmosphere was filled with laughter and the Mayor felt a deep sense of pride seeing the community come together to celebrate and support the heroes among them.
Andrea Robeson, president of the Robbins Park District said, “I just want to thank Humana for coming out and supporting the Robbins Park District and helping us. They sponsored the Robbins’ Veteran Senior Event and I want to thank you. We appreciate Humana and we had a nice time. And much love to the staff members like Sheila Inman and others who participated behind the scenes to make this day possible.”
According to Kendall, this was the biggest turnout they’ve had in three years. We look forward to doing bigger and better things here in the Village of Robbins.”
