WCF’S Red, White  & Blue Jeans Event Returns To Honor Local Heroes On Friday, Nov. 10

The Wellington Community Foundation’s annual Red, White & Blue Jeans “A Salute To Our Heroes” event returns to honor veterans, seniors and children in need at the Wellington National Golf Club on Friday, Nov. 10 from 6:30 to 10 p.m.

The foundation’s mission to help neighbors in need continues, with more than $500,000 in support since its inception. The foundation relies on donors, sponsors, volunteers and community partnerships to enrich the lives of fellow Wellington residents.

This year, the foundation is dedicating the event in honor of the late Tom Wenham, one of its founding members and longtime chair, who passed away at age 90 last year. His work for the foundation continued up until his final days.

In his honor, the foundation will be unveiling the “Thomas M. Wenham” Salute To Our Veterans Scholarship at this year’s event, spearheaded by Mickey Smith, a former foundation director, who raised more than $10,000 to kick off this new scholarship program in Wenham’s name. These funds, along with additional money raised for the cause, will be used to honor Wenham’s service not only to the Wellington Community Foundation, but to the nation as a proud veteran.

This event is one of the premier seasonal kickoff parties in Wellington, and also one of the most laid-back, jeans-wearing, flag-waiving events you will ever attend. It features cocktails, dinner and dancing with all your Wellington friends, neighbors and business owners.

The night is filled with touching ceremonial moments, which honor not only all the veterans in attendance, but also those who did not make it home. The event begins and ends with an empty chair ceremony led by American Legion Post 390. Along with it all is the bonus that all the money raised will stay right here in Wellington to help neighbors with a hand up. It is a great way to reconnect with old friends you haven’t seen in a while, celebrate the men and women who sacrificed so much, and perhaps even make a few new friends along the way.

The foundation continues to support and improve the quality of life for some of Wellington’s most vulnerable residents by providing food, home repairs for seniors, school uniforms, backpacks, camp programs, equestrian programs for special needs students, school grants, college scholarships, as well as packages that include socks, underwear, sneakers and an age-appropriate gift for children to open on Christmas morning, many of whom would go without if not for the help of their neighbors.

This year’s sponsors include Wellington Regional Medical Center; Seacoast Bank; Diamante Farms; Medicare Maggie; Dr. & Mrs. Gordon Johnson; Mr. & Mrs. Jim Sackett; Michael Gauger; Frank & Herta Suess; Lesser, Lesser, Landy & Smith; Maria Antuña; Wellington The Magazine; and the Town-Crier newspaper.

Tickets are $100 per person, and table sponsorships are still available at $1,250 and include one table and eight tickets. For additional information, visit www.wellingtoncommunityfoundation.org.

The board of directors requests that if you are unable to attend this year and still want to make a difference, consider making a one-time donation, so the foundation can continue “building a stronger community.”