Lake Country Neighbors announce 12th annual veterans thank you

All U.S. veterans are invited to attend the Lake Country Neighbors 12th annual Veterans Thank You to be held at the Lake Fork Baptist Church on Tuesday, July 19. This event has become a premier veteran celebration event for the area.

What started on a whim in 2010 with a hamburger and hotdog picnic in the Ruby McKeown Park in Emory has grown to be a patriotic celebration with a complimentary barbecue lunch served to more than 160 veterans and guests. The event has been moved twice due to growth and is now held at the Lake Fork Baptist Church fellowship hall/gym, 9483 FM 515, Alba.

The speaker will be the honorable and decorated retired Lt. Col. Cody Roberson. Cody grew up in Arlington in a military family. His family served in wars including his grandfather in World War II and father in Vietnam, however, Cody was a talented athlete and was signed as a free agent with the Atlanta Braves and eventually traded to the Cleveland Indians in the early 1990s. His professional baseball career came to an end just as the United States came out of Desert Storm. “I felt motivated to join my family’s history,” says Cody. He enlisted in the US Army as a combat medic and eventually became a commissioned officer in 1997 upon receiving his college degree. Cody served for 23 years with four deployments overseas and retired in 2015. Roberson now has a passion for serving those who serve. His organization, ArmyBassAnglers, has helped raise $3.5 million for the Warrior and Family Support Center in San Antonio.

Attendance for the meal is by reservation only. If a veteran has not received an invitation before and wants to be added to the list, email LCNVeterans@yahoo.com or call 903-268-7611 to be added.

The general public is invited to hear the speaker in the sanctuary of Lake Fork Baptist Church beginning at 12:15 p.m. No reservation required.