Hoosier Veterans Invited to Free Festival and Information Fair

INDIANAPOLIS, Sept. 13, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Legion Department of Indiana will sponsor its annual Fall Family Festival and Veterans Information Fair Sunday, September 18, 2011, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on the campus of American Legion Post 64 in Indianapolis. Hoosier Veterans of all eras and their families are invited to attend the no-cost picnic and celebration.

"The festival is a celebration of and for Hoosier veterans," said Mike Miller, Indiana American Legion Commander. "It doesn't matter if they are Legionnaires or not. We want them to know there is a community of fellow veterans in Indiana that cares about them and appreciates their service."

Open to all veterans at no cost, the festival features picnic fare, children's games and activities, music, patriotic observances and a wealth of information on veterans' earned benefits, the Legion's Fall Family Festival is designed to present important information in an informal family-friendly environment, Miller said.

"There are so many forces at work today that are counter to the values and interests held by most veterans. We wanted to set aside time for veterans to come together with like-minded Hoosiers to reaffirm those values and see that they are not in the minority," Miller said.

The Fall Family Festival also will feature no-cost registration of young children under the McGruff's Safe Kids Total I.D. System. The I.D. program is designed to record vital information about a child's identity, including fingerprints, to assist parents and law enforcement officials should a child go missing. The records are maintained as vital records by the parents.

The American Legion's many youth programs such as Hoosier Boys State, the High School Oratorical Competition, American Legion Baseball, Junior Shooting Sports, and a variety of education and scholarship programs also will be featured. Representatives of Legion Posts from around the state will be on hand to discuss membership and community service opportunities.

American Legion Post 64 is at 601 South Holt Road, Indianapolis.

SOURCE American Legion Department of Indiana