10 Thursday, October 10, 2024 BATTLE CREEK SHOPPER NEWS http://www.thebattlecreekshopper.com
Centennial Committee Chairman Brent Larsen, left, talks with Voluntary
Service Officer Todd Greenman at the Veteras Affairs Medical Center where
the public celebration will take place Tuesday, Oct. 15 from 8 a.m. to 3:
p.m. with speeches occurring at the 1 p.m. ceremony. (Shopper News photo by
Shelly Kehrle-Sulser)VAMC Centennial Committee members include, from left, Brent Larsen, Christina Kula, Russell Bell, Megan Avery,
Jody Barnes and Todd Greenman. (Shopper News photo by Shelly Kehrle-Sulser)care.”
The VAMC provides everything
from mental health care to a whole
host of specialty services as well as
special programs and more than 300
people volunteer there.
“Currently,” said Larsen, a veteran
of Afghanistan who works as the
VAMC facility planner, “we have
2,066 employees including the four
outpatient clinics - 1,603 of these
employees are assigned to the Battle
Creek Medical Center.”
Greenman said the VAMC contin-
ues to provide various extra oppor-
tunities such as a chance to grow
flowers and vegetables in the green
house, nutrition classes, print shop,
an annual carnival, art competition,
Pride events, golden age games, golf
course and more.
“We do a watermelon fest,” said
Greenman. “We have a miniature
golf course, a pool, a gym, a ball dia-
mond. We take some of our veterans
to the Cheff (Therapeutic Riding)
Center for horseback riding. A lot of
our veteran volunteer organizations
Also on site is the Michigan Youth
ChalleNGe Academy.
“I think it’s important for the com-
munity to know that we’ve been here
for 100 years, in Battle Creek, serv-ing veterans,” said Greenman about
the big celebration. “It’s a huge mile-
stone for us and we want to celebrate
it.”sponsor dinners for people to help
them get reintegrated into their life
once they’re discharged.”CENTENNIAL
Continued from Page 9