Overton Hosting Veterans Dinner Friday

Overton County will host a Veterans Appreciation Dinner at the County Fairgrounds Friday.

County Executive Steven Barlow said the event to open to all local veterans and their families as well as any Gold Star families in the county. Barlow said they will have food, drinks, and a number of door prizes donated by various sponsors.

“It’ll be just other vets there and they can feel comfortable with (each other),” Barlow said. “And if they need to talk to somebody we have, the veteran service coordinator will be there as well and they can have each other to lean on as well.”

Barlow said he hopes the veterans in attendance will feel the gratitude that the community has for them. Barlow said it is important for the county to show appreciation for everything its veterans have done.

The event begins in the fairgrounds’ Rotary Ag Building at 6:00pm.

“We’ll eat until all the food runs out and if we need to get some more, we will,” Barlow said. “We’ll continue to give door prizes out until there’s none left. They’ve got a time from six to eight but it’s from six to whenever everybody decides they’re ready to go home. I don’t care if we stay there until midnight.”

Barlow said people can show up to the event without the need to RSVP beforehand.

“We just want you to show up and fellowship with each other and have a great time,” Barlow said.

Barlow said he started the event last year as a breakfast event after looking for a way to give back to local veterans.

“To my surprise, a lot of others felt the same way and a lot of businesses wanted to donate door prizes and things like that,” Barlow said.