By MADDY VITALE
This year, the Sea Isle City VFW Post 1963 Auxiliary is asking the community to join them in supporting active-duty troops by donating gift cards to the Auxiliary’s 2023 “Adopt a Troop” program.
This year’s donations will go toward Navy sailors serving on the USS Emory S Land AS-39 Submarine Tender in Guam.
Each year, the post auxiliary selects a troop based on whether they have origins in Sea Isle, or something associated with Sea Isle and Cape May County, Auxiliary President Patti Lloyd said.
This year, the selection of the specific troop was for Sea Isle City resident Hugh Wilson, who is crew member onboard the USS Emory.
“I know Hugh Wilson. His mother is a member of the auxiliary. This is the first time that many of the military members have been away from home for service. Many of them are homesick,” Lloyd said. “It’s our duty and honor to help support our active military and the town of Sea Isle supports every effort that we have to support our troops and we are blessed and thankful for that.”
Lloyd said by giving to the troops, it “gives them love from home.”
The auxiliary has been participating in the “Adopt-a-Troop” program for about five years.
Each year, as part of the Adopt-a-Troop program, the auxiliary hosts a special event to unveil a photo of the troop that is being recognized. In addition, there is an event at the post. This year’s celebration is scheduled for April 7 at 6 p.m.
“Anyone is welcome to come join us in the formal adoption of the troop. We will have their sign and photo unveiled,” Lloyd said. “We will have a special place of honor on the wall. The parents will be there and family members will be there. We usually do some kind of Skype time too with the military members. It is really very special.”
Sea Isle City Public Information Officer Katherine Custer said Tuesday that the auxiliary does wonderful work on behalf of veterans and active service members.
“We should all be very proud of our VFW and their amazing auxiliary,” Custer said. “I am continually impressed by the hard work the auxiliary members perform year after year in support of our nation’s veterans and active-duty military — and their Adopt-a-Troop program is just one of their many important efforts. I have the pleasure of knowing many auxiliary members personally, and we are blessed to have them all in our community.”
The auxiliary is accepting donations of Amazon, Visa and Mastercard gift cards to send to the crew of the USS Emory. Along with the gift cards, the auxiliary sends the service men and women T-shirts.
Gift cards must be received by Friday, March 24. They can be delivered to Post 1963 in-person or mailed to the VFW via P.O. Box 68, Sea Isle City, N.J. 08243.
For more info about this event, please phone 609-263-1711 or email pattios@outlook.com.
