Group raises more than $700 for military phone cards

Thursday, September 17, 2009
Members of the medical community were lined up out the doors at Hickory Creek at Sunset for a fish fry to raise funds to buy phone cards for military personnel oversea.

GREENCASTLE -- Putnam County medical personnel helped raise over $700 to purchase phone cards for military personnel during a free fish fry Wednesday at Hickory Creek at Sunset.

The event was sponsored by HCS, along with the Putnam County Hospital and the Putnam County Red Cross, with money going to the Family Readiness Group of the Indiana National Guard.

"We'll take all the money and divide it up between the number of names the National Guard gives to us and buy phone cards. We understand it is really expensive to call home from over there and this will help make it a little easier," said Evelyn Brown, marketing director at Hickory Creek at Sunset.

The idea came from Hickory Creek when one of their staff members got notice of being deployed to Afghanistan. Floyd Coon worked part-time at HCS in maintenance. He is leaving in a few days for training and will be deployed to Afghanistan around November 30.

"It's pretty close to home when the people you work with are deployed. This seemed like a good idea that would benefit military personnel as well family members," added Brown.

The Putnam County hospital and Red Cross both had booths and passed out information. The Red Cross also had personnel on hand to answer questions about getting and giving information about overseas personnel.

Sponsors for the fish fry traded information prior to the food being served to local medical staff. Representatives included Jennifer Bedwell, Putnam County Hospital, Evelyn Brown, Hickory Creek at Sunset, Pamela Coons, Family Readiness Group with the Indiana National Guard, Freida Rutan, Wabash Valley Red Cross, Ken Heeke, Putnam County Red Cross and Cecelia Solmon, Wabash Valley Red Cross.

Corporate personnel from Hickory Creek cooked fish, chicken and onion rings and staff members from HCS served it to patrons.

The line wound through the dining room at HCS as people waiting patiently for their turn to chow down on the freshly fried fish.

Last year, the local Red Cross served 13 families with debriefing information before they were deployed and served eight other families with emergency communications.

The Family Readiness Group provides a multitude of services for military personnel and their families. Contact Pamela Coons at 653-3764 or 720-7495 for information about their services.

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