Athens — On Dec. 19, five board members of the Cedar Creek Veterans Foundation (CCVF) attended a Christmas luncheon with families staying at The Fisher House in Dallas.

Also present for the luncheon were Gen. Robert Carey, Dick Agnew, Lydia Henderson (Director of Fisher House) and doctors and staff from the Veterans Hospital.

The Cedar Creek Veterans Foundation presented a check of $15,000 to Lydia Henderson.  These funds will be used to supply food, linens, gas and many other services that enhance the ability of the Fisher House to provide a home away from home for the families of our nation’s hospitalized heroes.

The CCVF exists to raise funds for charities that support our military personnel. 

One of the organizations supported is the Fisher House, located next door to the Veterans Hospital in Dallas.

In order to use the Fisher House, you have to live 60 miles from the hospital. The Fisher House provides a safe place for East Texas veterans, serving military and their families as they receive treatment. 

Fisher House opened its doors in 2009, and has provided housing for 1,583 families, 17 active-duty families, 17 combat-war veterans, 291 seniors, 1,048 adults and 114 children with an average stay of eight days.

Many of these families would have been unable to afford to be with their loved ones as they recovered from wounds or received treatment before the Fisher House was built.

It is the goal of the Fisher House Trust to have a Fisher House located at every veterans and military hospital in the U.S.

Anne Woods with Hope for the Warriors (another charity supported by CCVF), also attended the luncheon at the Fisher House. She received a check for $4,000 to benefit our recovering Texas soldiers and their families.

In December of this year alone, their caseworkers have 13 open cases in Immediate Needs from Texas service members and veterans.

The assistance given in this area can range from paying a utility bill, covering rent, so that a family is not evicted, or paying for lodging while being treated at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio. 

Hope For The Warriors is a national nonprofit organization that assists combat-wounded service members, their families, and families of the fallen.

Although they are a national organization, the support given to service members and their families in Texas is extensive.

This year, the Cedar Creek Veterans Foundation will have three events to support The Fisher House, Hope for the Warriors, and the Navy and Marine Corps Relief Society.

The first event will be the Cedar Creek Veterans Foundation Golf Classic at Pinnacle Golf Club on Monday, June 4, 2012.

The profits from the tournament will benefit all three charities, and will give the towns, local businesses and communities a chance to support our veterans and troops.

Come out and support our special guests, soldiers from Brooke Army Medical Center who are recovering, or who have recovered, from injuries received in the service to their country.  Local veterans and military will be honored for their service to our country.

You can contact Gayle Robinson at 903-451-5054, if you are interested in playing in the golf tournament, or becoming a sponsor.

The annual Air Show “Thunder Over Cedar Creek Lake,” will be held on Saturday July 7, this year. It is expected this will be an even more exciting Air Show than last year.

Most of the pilots who fly in the show donate their fees in order for the organization to make more money for the military charities supported.

Military pilots this year will be from the Navy, Marines and Air Force. A great deal of time has been spent, making sure that the money donated gets to the people it’s intended to benefit.

Randy Ball, who is the Air Show founder, works very hard to make this a thrilling event for the Cedar Creek Lake area.

It is now the 5th largest air show in the southwest, and the only one over water.

If you are interested in helping, or being a sponsor, you can contact Gayle Robinson 903-451-5054, or Patty Evans at 903-451-1020.

Over 47,000 men and women have been wounded since 2001. A lot of them will need continuing medical treatment throughout their lives.

The Cedar Creek Veterans Foundation is dedicated to helping make these soldiers and their family’s lives a little easier. 

If you would like to help, you can go to ccvfoundation.org, and make an on-line donation. Cedar Creek Veterans Foundation is a 501(C)(3) charity with an A+ rating.