Robin Rutzke, Brandon Lodge Veterans Services Chair, requested magazine donations for veterans, so members and their spouses along with Brandon Ladies of Elks members and others responded with more than 90 pounds of magazines, which Rutzke delivered July 29 to Kim Peatee Field, recreation therapist at James A. Haley Hospital. The magazines were earmarked for veterans in short-stay rehabilitation. In addition, generous lodge members donated $320 and asked that it be used for veterans at the VA hospital. Rutzke put this money to good work and purchased coupon books called Patriot Buck$. The Spinal Cord Injury Center received $220 of these coupon books for its patients and the remaining $100 of the coupon books were presented to the VA chaplain to distribute to patients as needed. The hospitalized veterans can use the coupons on anything in the Patriot Store, Café or Coffee Shop at the hospital.
Accepting the coupon books and a sampling of the magazines is Ellen Tolson, Center for Development and Civic Engagement Specialist.