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48 | LIFE IN SOLERA | DECEMBER 2023 | Flags were raised in November for Veterans Day (11/11/23). They will be raised in December for Pearl Harbor Day (12/7/2023). Thank you to those dedicated resident volunteers who are up at the crack of dawn on these special days to put up and take down our flags. To all veterans, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE! Flag schedule for 2024 Martin Luther King Day: Mon., Jan. 15 President's Day: Mon., Feb. 19 Viet Nam War Veterans Day: Fri., March 29 Armed Forces Day: Fri., May 18 Memorial Day: Mon., May 27 D Day: Thurs., June 6 Flag Day: Fri., June 14 Independence Day: Thurs., July 4 Labor Day: Mon., Sept. 2 Patriots Day: Mon., Sept. 11 National POW/MIA Day: Fri., Sept. 20 Veterans Day: Sat., Nov. 11 Pearl Harbor Day: Thurs., Dec. 7 Contact for the Flag Brigade – Nick Gercis, nick.gercis@gmail.com. This month, our care package project will reach its eighteenth year of sending care packages, letters, emails, and photos. During this time, I have seen a number of similar projects in nearby communities start up and then fade away. It's the people of Solera who have made ours last. I wish I could give you the exact number of packages sent to our service men and women. I can only give you the official number. I have always kept a tally, by just adding another number, to the list. There is a great likelihood that I neglected to record a few packages, especially when I was hurrying to the post office in Idaho, and then out onto to water to fish. In early November, at the time of writing this article, the official count of packages was 5,124. Taking into consideration that each package is shared by multiple soldiers, just think of how many service members, you have reached out and touched. At age 84 and with mobility issues, I often call on volunteers to assist with the work that goes into the project. I try to keep a list of volunteers. It often requires me to reach out to five or six people before I find someone that is available. It is totally understandable as Solera is a very active community. Quite often, the work requires one to reach about six feet high to move a box that is ten to fifteen pounds. I could definitely use several more physically able guys. On Nov. 5, we had our Support Our Troops, Musical Extravaganza fundraiser. I would like to thank Marty and Diana Mangan for organizing and hosting it, to DJ Blast for the music, George Vawter, for videoing it, all those who made baskets, or donated other items, for the raffle, and all those who came for an afternoon of music. One-hundred percent of all the money raised goes for postage. We held two fundraisers this year, to carry us for the year. The other one was a garage sale, in September. Fundraising requires a lot of work for those who are putting them on. It is always best if the event is something that the people in the community, can receive some type of enjoyment from it. Any ideas or suggestions would greatly be appreciated. Thank you for caring. ~ Jesse Donardt SUPPORT OUR TROOPS VETERAN ASSISTANCE FLAG BRIGADE Billy (Mitch) Mitchell is a resident and Veteran who has voluntarily worked with individuals and the Veterans Administration to assist Veterans in obtaining benefits. If you are a Veteran and want to know which benefits you may be eligible for, contact Mitch at (951) 797-0800.