NJoying Events to Honor our Veterans and Active Military Personnel

NJoy Spirits Distillery located in the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge was the scene of two events Veterans Day weekend to celebrate and honor our military men and women. On November 9, K-9 Partners for Patriots held a fundraiser on the grounds of the distillery owned by Natalie and Kevin Goff. On November 10, Hernando County Women Veterans held a similar event at the same location.

K9 Partners for Patriots (K9P4P) is a local non-profit organization that matches service dogs with veterans who are suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Military Sexual Trauma (MST). Many of these service canines are rescue dogs who, along with the veteran, go through a 24-week program. Some are dogs that the veterans may already own. In the ten years since the organization began, a total of 443 Service Teams have graduated and 267 dogs have been rescued. K9 Partners for Patriots is a Win-Win-Win proposition−saving the lives of dogs who might otherwise have been put down, helping these men and women who have sacrificed so much for their country, and supporting the families of these veterans.

Those who attended the event at the distillery enjoyed music by the Darrel Sikes Band. Food trucks were on site to satisfy the appetites of the attendees. NJoy Spirits Distillery offered tours of their facility and tasting of the rum and rye whiskey that they produce. You could purchase bottles of these spirits, along with preserves, honey from the bees on their 80+ acre property, farm fresh eggs from their chickens, whiskey-infused coffee beans and ground coffee and a wide variety of other products.

Several of the veterans told about their personal journeys and how K9 Partners for Patriots helped them. The Hernando County Sheriff’s Office Mounted Horse Team was there to show off their steeds, as well as to ensure the safety of everyone at the event.

To check if you, a friend or a family member might be eligible for the K9 Partners for Patriots program, to learn about fostering a prospective service dog or to donate your time, talents or funds call 352-397-5306 or go to www.k9partnersforpatriots.com.

The following day, NJoy Spirits Distillery hosted another veterans’ fundraiser. This time it was to support the Hernando County Women Veterans (HCWV). This non-profit organization was founded in January of this year by Jean Ware, a four-year veteran of the Navy. Right now their numbers are small, but growing.

As of 2022, there were approximately 229,000 women serving in the military and currently there are roughly two million women veterans having served from the World War II era up until those who have recently been discharged. Many of these women need and want to associate with others who have had similar experiences. Camaraderie is one purpose of the organization.

Another mission of the Hernando County Women Veterans is to instill patriotism in people, along with education about female veterans and appreciation for what women have contributed to our military. Many women have served in combat, some in leadership positions and faced death. Many have died or been wounded.
Another important mission is service to their fellow veterans− men and women− and service to the community, as a whole. One of the projects that Hernando County Women Veterans has been involved in was distributing food, clothing and other items collected by the Veterans Depot.

A small, but enthusiastic crowd, attended the event on Sunday. They enjoyed food available from various food trucks and listened to music by Darrell Sikes. They also had an opportunity to tour the distillery and purchase some of the products sold there. According to Jean Ware, President of HCWV, everyone agreed that the venue was beautiful and was a perfect place for an event like this.

Besides the support of the distillery for offering its premises for the event, there were a number of other invaluable supporters. These included Abbott Plumbing and Jimmy Schultz with the American Legion Post 186 Honor Guard.

For more information on the organization call 612-419-4178 or follow the group on their Facebook Page: Hernando County Women Veterans https://www.facebook.com/groups/711559951117622

On Monday, November 11, Glen Lakes Veterans and Friends Association (GLVFA) held its annual Golf Outing. Founded in 2016, GLVFA is made up veterans, active military personnel, and residents of Glen Lakes, a community north of Weeki Wachee. Over the past eight years, the organization has raised about $290,000 through these tournaments. There are also Silent Auctions and raffles with items donated from various businesses. This year’s take, which included golfers’ fees, major sponsor donations, as well as smaller donations was $20,000.

One of the major sponsors was Register Chevrolet. Each year they donate a brand new vehicle to the person who makes a hole-in-one at the hole they sponsor. The prize has never been claimed, but this year, Kevin Seeley made a hole-in-one at Register’s hole and drove home in a 2024 Chevrolet pickup. Another major benefactor is Glen Lakes Golf Club which donates the use of the golf course and its main ballroom that day.

The proceeds from the event go to helping veterans organizations and military-oriented programs throughout Pasco, Hernando and Citrus counties. These include Baldomero Lopez State Veterans Home, American Legion Post #186, and F.W. Springstead High School Jr. ROTC. Occasionally, Glen Lakes Veterans and Friends will donate to an individual veteran in need. For example, this past week, they donated a golf cart to a 98-year-old World War II veteran who lost his automobile and his golf cart due to one of the recent hurricanes.

For more information about Glen Lakes Veterans and Friends log onto www.glenlakesvets.org.

Hernando County citizens, and especially its veterans, are blessed to have so many organizations close by that spend their time and resources helping our community to be a better place in which to live.