Live Music Brings Families Together
On Sunday, November 3rd, almost 100 veterans and their family members gathered at the Piqua Center for a very special Muster & Mingle event. We were honored to bring Dayton Guitars 4 Heroes band to Piqua for a free concert for our veterans to enjoy, along with dinner that had been graciously donated by Olive Garden at Miller Lane in Dayton.
While we had a bit a hectic start to dinner, we are so grateful to Olive Garden for working so quickly to prepare the donated order as they were coping with an unexpected loss of phase 3 power. We would’ve been so understanding if they had decided to not go through the hassle, but they were adamant about making sure that we had a great meal. Their lasagna, spaghetti with marinara, and of course, salad and breadsticks, were very much appreciated by our gathered veterans.
After dinner, Dayton Guitars 4 Heroes took the stage! The Dayton Guitars 4 Heroes Band was established in January 2019. They played a variety of classic rock, classic country, and patriotic music. This non-profit, all-veteran band also volunteer their time to give back to raise money to support the Rec4Heroes/Dayton Organization.
The Rec4Heroes program applies the therapy of learning new skills and meditative power of music to improve the quality of life for disabled veterans. They provide 10-12 week courses to veterans interested in learning to play the guitar, ukulele, or harmonica. When the veteran completes the course, they get to keep the instrument they have been training on. They are then officially recognized as Rec4Heroes Dayton alumni, and are invited to come to the alumni music sessions to play with other veterans. Many veterans who have completed a program find that it helps with concentration and provides an outlet for stress and anxiety,
We had a wonderful evening with the Dayton Guitars 4 Heroes band, and we are grateful to the Miami County Foundation for providing a portion of the funds needed to hold an event of this magnitude. Their generosity allows us to bring not only events like this to veterans and their families, but also allows us to provide educational opportunities as well.
Our next Muster & Mingle event in Piqua will be held on December 3rd at the Activity Center at the Miami County YMCA. You can get more information about that event, as well as all of our upcoming activities, by visiting us here!