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Gov. Pillen Hosts Veterans and Families at Annual Welcome Home Picnic
LINCOLN, NE – Governor Jim Pillen and First Lady Suzanne Pillen hosted 24 Nebraska service members, dozens of family members and representatives of numerous support groups at the Scottish Rite Masonic Center in Lincoln. The annual Welcome Home Picnic was co-hosted by the Nebraska Department of Veterans’ Affairs (NDVA) and sponsored by Walmart. The event is for veterans who discharged in the previous year.
“It’s a privilege to continue this tradition of welcoming our service members home to Nebraska,” said Gov. Pillen. “What better way to showcase the Good Life and thank these men and women for their service than a good, old-fashioned get-together. Meeting with them, talking to their families, and hearing about their plans now that they’re out of the service, was very special.”
More than 130 people were on hand for the celebration on Thursday, Aug. 24. The event included food, games and the presentation of keepsake Welcome Home challenge coins. Also attending were 24 exhibitors from veteran service organizations, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs health and benefit programs, state of Nebraska recruitment, and more. The NDVA State Service Office was on hand to assist veterans interested in learning about services and filing claims for benefits.
“NDVA is here to assist our state’s veterans in their transition out of the service and back to civilian life,” said NDVA Director John Hilgert. “We look forward to this event each year and getting to connect with Nebraska’s newest veterans and their families to recognize them and connect them with the local, state, and federal resources they’ve earned.”
Nebraska’s Welcome Home Picnic has been taking place since 2016. Traditionally held in the backyard of the Governor’s Residence in Lincoln, this year’s event was moved indoors due to excessive heat.
Additional photos from the event are available here.
