TEMPE, ARIZONA ‒ To celebrate and acknowledge Veterans Day Thursday, Nov. 11, we were given the opportunity to reflect on and honor the sacrifices our veterans have made.
They have sacrificed time, energy, mental and physical health, safety, security and much more. Liv Communities wanted them to have the opportunity to take back their time, energy, health, and security. It aims to provide a place where Veterans feel luved, appreciated, and honored. A place they are proud to call home.
Each LivGenerations community in the Valley honors and celebrates veterans in their own way because it wants veterans to have a home where their sacrifices are not taken for granted.
Some of the ways in which its communities show appreciation and honor to our veterans are by hosting a Memorial Day and Veterans Day celebration, lining the entry way with flags on each palm tree for Flag Day, lighting a candle on a table all day to commemorate fallen and missing in action POW (Fallen Comrade or Missing Man) service members, and having a veterans’ wall honoring all of its veteran residents.
This year Liv Communities is especially excited to welcome and honor its first female veteran at LivGenerations Pinnacle Peak community. Carolyn Adams served from the late 40s to the early 50s as part of the Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service military unit.
At LivGenerations Ahwatukee, thanks to veteran leader and longtime LivGenerations resident Don Taylor, the community has celebrated Veterans Day each year since its opening.
Taylor served in the U.S. Marine Corps between 1952 and 1954.
“I love my country and I am proud to have served,” Taylor says. “Every veteran no matter their time in the service or job in the service should be equally recognized. The older I get the prouder I am to have served my country.”
The celebration included traditions such as the Presentation of the Colors by the Air Force Honor Guard, the Pledge of Allegiance, the National Anthem, and the Folding of the Flag Ceremony.
In past years this celebration has been open to the public and friends and family would come and gather to pay their respect and honor to our brave veterans and those who are currently serving. Unfortunately, due to COVID, this year’s celebration was not open to public and only included residents of the community.
Breann Kelley, Executive Director at LivGenerations Ahwatukee, has been organizing the Veterans Day event from the moment she started.
“The celebrations we put on for our veterans are just mind boggling,” Kelley says. “It has to do with the fact that we have so many prideful veterans in our community which is why we have so many traditions that honor them in the way they deserve.”