May is Military Appreciation Month and with nearly 6,000 veterans who call Pahrump home, there could be no better time to shine the spotlight on the brave men and women who stepped up to military duty, making personal sacrifices in the name of defending freedom.
Seizing on on the opportunity to celebrate the annual observance of Military Appreciation Month, the American Legion Post #22, in cooperation with the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #10054, will be hosting a special event entitled the “Support Our Veterans Rib Extravaganza” and the entire community is invited.
American Legion member Bruce Schoenberger has been helping to promote the upcoming event and he is hopeful that it will not only spark interest in the shindig itself, but also raise awareness of the fact that Military Appreciation Month takes place every May, as it has since 1999. As Schoenberger noted, “Veterans often don’t get the recognition they deserve other than on normal holidays such as Veterans Day.”
Schoenberger also remarked that the relationship between the American Legion and the VFW in Pahrump is somewhat unique in that the two organizations, though separate entities with different members, share resources and energy to bolster each other’s efforts.
“The American Legion shares the location with the VFW and has for over 20 years,” Schoenberger said. “I’m not sure that our community at large even understands that, or what these organizations do for veterans. Although they are separate, all the volunteers and everyone work well together to benefit the veterans.”
The post is often used as a venue for meal-centered events and Schoenberger said all of those events are open to the public, not just veterans, with no membership to either the VFW or American Legion required. The volunteers from the two veterans’ organizations regularly team up for food preparation and service, with Schoenberger adding, “As volunteers, our goal is to keep prices down, or lower, for the vets in these trying times.”
The Support Our Veterans Rib Extravaganza will kick off at 11 a.m. next Saturday and event organizers have worked to put together a mouthwatering menu to entice the appetite.
The rib lunch plate, which will sell for $12, will include smoked baby back ribs that have been hand-rubbed in a spice blend with a smoky flavor and then gently basted in a hint of barbecue basting sauce, along with homemade, ultra-cheesy macaroni and cheese and a slightly crunchy, no-mayo coleslaw.
The event will also include all beef, kosher hotdogs with golden fries for $5 a plate. Additional hotdogs will be $4 each and there will be chili-cheese fries offered for $4 a basket and fresh fruit cups available for $3 each.
The VFW bar will be open with an assortment of drinks, including margaritas, wine, spirits, domestic and imported beers and other drink specials, such as Jell-O shots.
A 50/50 raffle will be held, with 50% of the proceeds to go to the American Legion and the other 50% to go to a lucky winner. For the youngsters and teens, there will be patriotic comic books to peruse and Mike Hickey will be providing live entertainment with special guest performers.
The Support Our Veterans Rib Extravaganza is set for Saturday, May 21 from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., or until all the food is gone. The post is located at 4651 S. Homestead Road.
Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com