THE PLAYERS Community Senior Center (St. Johns County Council on Aging facility) hosted a veterans luncheon Nov. 9 that was organized by the Rotary Club of Ponte Vedra Beach.
Before enjoying a barbecue meal from Woody’s, attendees of the event had the opportunity to hear from Jonathan Pruden, a Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) employee and Army veteran. He spoke about his combat experience and career with WWP, and ultimately thanked the seniors in the room for their military service and contributions to society.
“I just want to thank you all so much for paving the way for this generation, for being that voice both in the communities and up on Capitol Hill, saying, ‘Hey, we need to do better for today’s generation of veterans,'” he said. “We are standing on your shoulders, and we owe you a tremendous debt of gratitude, for everything you’ve sacrificed to make it better for us and to defend all of the freedoms that we as citizens enjoy here.”
Rotarian Bruce Barber then introduced and recognized the group of veterans in the room, who served across branches of the military in World War II and Vietnam.
Also at the event, the senior center recognized Chris Tokarski for his service as a dedicated volunteer at the facility.
