For the seventh year in a row, a handful of members from the Chicago District\u00a0met on Saturday, May\u00a04, 2013 for its Join Hands Day event at the Edward Hines, Jr., VA Hospital.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nineteen of the District members spent the afternoon with thirty of the resident veterans playing twenty-six serious games of bingo where the vets had the chance to win some of the $500 in commissary coupons available as prizes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
To make the playing field fair, each of the vets received an initial gift of $5 in coupons along with one of the \u201cgo green\u201d FCSLA bags.\u00a0 Each of the vets also received a homemade thank you card from individual 4th<\/sup> grade students of Chateaux Elementary School (Hinsdale, IL) taught by Helen Bendik Grygus, S274 Vice-President.\u00a0 The last two games of bingo for the afternoon were \u201ccover your card\u201d.\u00a0 In the first game of \u201ccover your card\u201d, the sole winner received $20 in coupons with the second \u201ccover your card\u201d game prize winner netting $30 in coupons.\u00a0 District President Mary Therese Tylus stated, \u201cThe vets truly enjoyed our visit and when asked if we should come back again, the reply was \u2018Yes \u2013 how about next weekend?\u2019\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0This VA Hospital located in Maywood, Illinois is the largest of the Chicago-area Veterans\u2019 Hospitals, well known for its many programs and specialties including: blind rehabilitation, spinal cord injury, neurosurgery, radiation therapy, cardiovascular surgery, and serves as a Polytrauma Center for severely injured veterans with skilled medical professionals who treat patients with traumatic brain injuries.<\/p>\n \u00a0Once again, the afternoon filled with lots of laughter and fun, and all the members in attendance agreed that it was just a small way of showing these vets how grateful we all are to them for the sacrifices they have made to ensure our American freedom!\u00a0<\/p>\n