AMHERST, New York – The UAW Western New York Region 9 Veterans Committee will donate a van to a local Veterans Administration hospital so those who have served our nation can get to their medical appointments.
The donation of the12-passenger Ford Transit van to the Bath (New York) Veterans Administration Medical Center will take place Aug. 31 at 1 p.m. at UAW Region 9, 35 George Karl Blvd, Amherst, New York. The committee previously donated a van to the Bath hospital and to the Buffalo chapter of the Disabled American Veterans.
“UAW members are honored to aid our veterans and the hospitals that serve them,” said Terry Dittes, director of UAW Region 9, which includes western New York. “These men and women have done so much for our country and we will do anything we can do to make their lives a bit easier.”
Representatives of the hospital, as well as from West Herr Ford of Hamburg, New York, where the van was purchased, will be on hand for the donation. The UAW committee holds events throughout the year for three western New York veterans’ hospitals, including hot dog roasts, Monte Carlo nights, fishing and picnic outings, and Super Bowl parties. They purchase bicycles for vets and had a bicycle storage and repair garage built at the Bath hospital so veteran can repair bicycles that are used to travel around the large facility.
The committee raises money through gate collections at UAW-represented workplaces in the region. It also hosts a Veterans Appreciation 5K Run. Last year nearly 200 runners participated and more than $16,000 was raised. This year’s event is set for noon on Nov. 5, at UAW Local 686 in Lockport, New York.
The UAW Western New York Region 9 Veterans Committee also supports numerous area veterans’ organizations with labor and funds.
“We volunteer to do things like putting up and disassembling The Moving Wall, which honors those who sacrificed in Vietnam, and participate in the K.I.A Memorial Road March because it’s important that people always remember that freedom isn’t free,” Dittes said. “It’s fitting to honor and serve those who have sacrificed so we could have these freedoms.”
What: The UAW Western New York Region 9 Veterans Committee will donate a van to the Bath (New York) Veterans Administration Medical Center.
When: Aug. 31 at 1 p.m. Media should arrive no later than 12:45 p.m.
Where: UAW Region 9, 35 George Karl Blvd., Amherst, New York 14221
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