Vail Valley Veterans of Foreign Wars post hosting scholarship fundraising dinner May 14

AVON — Buy a steak, fund a scholarship … or purchase salmon, prime rib or almost anything else.

The local Veterans of Foreign Wars post is hosting a scholarship dinner Tuesday evening at Avon’s Northside Kitchen.

You get a three-course dinner and a drink for $50 and the VFW gets most of the money for scholarships.

Last scholarship season the VFW gave away more than $23,000 to students in six local high schools, Colorado Mountain College and students in college as follow-up scholarships. All that started with a $250 scholarship in 1983 when the VFW re-chartered.

“Our VFW primary scholarship fundraiser for the last 20 years was the community rummage sale,” said the VFW’s Buddy Sims.

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With the rummage sale reduced in scope, the VFW had to get creative. They launched their “Never Forget” Memorial Golf Tournament, played Sept. 11, at the EagleVail Golf Course. It was a huge success, so they did what the VFW always does — they increased their giving, doubling and tripling the awards for some scholarship recipients.

Besides the golf tournament and Tuesday’s Northside dinner, the VFW is hosting several other events over the year.

You’ve seen local VFW members everywhere. They lead Vail’s July Fourth parade and host Memorial Day services at Tennessee Pass and Freedom Park. They spend a week and a half in all the local schools around Veterans Day.

Their scholarships are presented in the names of deceased VFW combat veterans: John Shaw Vaughan, Tim Cochrane, Candelario “Candy” Cordova, Roy Lawler, and Evenor Herrera. Also, Sandy Treat, WWII 10^th Mountain Division trooper, presented a living scholarship in his name at Vail Christian High School.