A local veteran addresses the crowd at

ALTON - Local veterans turned out for the “Breakfast for a Hero” event on Veterans Day.

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On Nov. 11, 2024, veterans and their families were invited to Best Western Premier for a free breakfast, open mic and performance by the Gibson Girls. Over 240 people were in attendance this year.

“The room is full, so we’re grateful for that,” said Jim Claywell with Embark Wealth Partners, the company that organizes the event.

Claywell noted that the breakfast honors veterans and their family members while providing a fun kickoff to the Veterans Day events around town.

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As they finished their meal, veterans were invited to share stories with the room. A few veterans took the time to honor fellow servicemembers who had passed, while others shared information about local programs and resources for vets. The Gibson Girls concluded the morning with a performance, and Claywell said they were “just tremendous.”

The event was sponsored by many local organizations, including Roberts Motors, Gent Funeral Home, First Mid Bank & Trust, the North Alton-Godfrey Business Council, Gerard Fischer American Family Insurance, Miller King Law Firm, U.S.A. Mortgage, Upper Deck Roofing and Landmark Realty.

This annual event will continue next year. Claywell reminds veterans and their families to RSVP. He encouraged businesses to contact Embark Wealth Partners at 618-433-8881 for more information about the event and how to come on as a sponsor.

“Veterans Day is a day in which we honor these veterans, but if you think about it, every day should really be Veterans Day,” he added. “We always talk about the fact that we want to honor them because if they hadn’t done what they did, we wouldn’t be able to do this.”

The Gibson Girls

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