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Veterans Support Council, Inc.
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Hoosier Heroes Appreciation Day

Proposal for HHAD September 2025 Event

We are proposing to produce a Major Event honoring our Veterans, Military & First Responders, and we need your help pulling it all together. We’re looking for 1) Volunteers, 2) Vendors / Exhibitors, 3) Sponsors, and 4) Planning Committee Members. We want to raise enough money from our Sponsors to offer at least 2,000 of our Hoosier Heroes Free lunch, Parking, Zoo & Indians game. If you are interested in helping us with this project, please click on the “Sign-Up” link at the top of this page.

For 9 Years, the Mayors’ Veterans Appreciation Day has honored our Veterans and our Military with an Appreciation Day event with their families. In 2025 our new format will be held on Saturday, the 13th of September, 2025, at the White River State Park in downtown Indianapolis. In 2025, our 10th Annual event (after five years off), honoring our Veterans and Military, will also honor Indiana’s First Responders. We are also expanding our reach from just Marion County to all of Indiana. In the coming years, we hope to expand our HHAD event in the Northern and Southern parts of the State.
Hoosier Heroes Appreciation Day, Inc. (HHAD), an Indiana Non-Profit Corporation.
HHAD is a 100% owned subsidiary of Veterans Support Council, Inc. (VSC), an Indiana Non-Profit Corporation.
VSC has been an IRS 501 (c)(3) Public Charity since the 28th of January, 2016.

We have changed the date of our next event.

Proposal for a Saturday the 13th of September 2025 Event
Hoosier Heroes Appreciation Day
 White River State Park in Downtown Indy
To Show Thanks to our Veterans, Military & First Responders

Dear Veteran, Military & First Responder Supporter:

Hello, my name is Don Hawkins, and I am the President of the Veterans Support Council, Inc. (VSC).  VSC now owns the names Mayors’ Veterans Advisory Council (MACV) and Mayors’ Veterans Appreciation Day (MVAD).  MACV & VSC have promoted the Mayors’ Veterans Appreciation Day event for nine (9) years, starting in 2011.  MACV-VSC did not have an event from 2020-2024 because of the COVID-19 virus.  Beginning in 2025, we have changed the event’s name to “Hoosier Heroes Appreciation Day” (HHAD), which will include the acknowledgment and appreciation for our First Responders for apparent reasons.

This information aims to inform you and your organization of the below proposal.  This information is a fact-finding proposal to determine who is interested or not in working with VSC on this project.  We are also looking for your suggestions or criticism of this proposal.

This Hoosier Heroes Appreciation Day event would celebrate all of Indiana’s Veterans, Military, and First Responders, such as; Police Officers, Sheriffs, Firefighters & EMS personnel, Doctors, Nurses, Care Givers, etc.  It would be a FREE event for all our Hoosier Heroes and their families.  In our opinion, the men and women who work for these organizations are the true Heroes in our Hoosier State; they must be acknowledged and celebrated annually to let them know we appreciate their service to our communities. 

This project will take an enormous effort, with several groups working together to recognize and support our Hoosier Heroes and their families.  With all the resources within the Indianapolis area, it should be no problem if we want to show our Hoosier Heroes our support and appreciation.

Date: Saturday the 13th of September in 2025 –I would like to see the fourth Saturday of each September be an Official Day for our Hoosier Heroes Appreciation Event. 

Place: White River State Park because of its existing facilities and central location.  Plus, it would be an excellent opportunity to spotlight Indiana’s great new facility in Downtown Indy..

Times: From 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM (Indians game starts at 6:30 PM)

What areas of the State should we invite: All parts of the State of Indiana (Armbands will be used to identify our Heroes from our neighborhood guests).

Who is welcome to attend: Everyone will be welcome to attend.  Different color Armbands will be issued to our Military, Veterans, and First Responders at the check-in area to identify those entitled to their FREE food, entertainment, drawings, etc.   

Proposed Supporters & Sponsors:

  1. Veterans Support Council
  2. State of Indiana
  3. City of Indianapolis
  4. IN Department of Veterans Affairs
  5. IN Department of Workforce Development
  6. Marion County Sheriff’s Department
  7. Indianapolis Police Department
  8. Indianapolis Fire Department
  9. Indianapolis EMS
  10. Veteran Support Groups – American Legion, DAV, VFW, National Guard, etc.
  11. All Branches of Military Service
  12. Indy Sports Teams
  13. Still looking for Suggestions on this topic

We would invite all:

  1. Components of our Active/ Guard and Reserve Military Services (City, State & Federal)
  2. Veterans Organizations
  3. Veterans Service Organizations
  4. Veterans Service Providers
  5. Firefighters
  6. Firefighters Service Providers
  7. Law Enforcement (city, county & state)
  8. Law Enforcement Service Providers
  9. Hospitals & EMS Services
  10. Doctors, Nurses & Caregivers

Vendor’s Tables (will be available for a minimum table & chair fee):

Any organizations that offer goods, services, support,& benefits to our Hoosier Heroes and their Families will be invited to participate if they want to share their resources and information at our event.

1)  Government – Federal, State & Local

2)  For Profit business

3)  Non-Profit organizations

Corporate Sponsors & Donors (we would put out a book/program with sponsors ads like the American Legion does every year):

1)  Banks

2)  Utilities

3)  TV & Radio Stations

4)  Auto Dealers

5)  Supermarkets

6)  Pharmaceutical

7)  Beer & Wine Distributors

8)  Building Supply Companies

9)  Soft Drink Distributors

10) Manufacturers

Still looking for Suggestions on this topic

As we hear from the above organizations, we will add more information on any suggestions or ideas they/you may want to add. 

We have incorporated the name “Hoosier Heroes Appreciation Day, Inc.” (HHAD) as a non-profit Indiana Corporation.  It is 100% owned by Vetereans Support Council, Inc. (VSC), the organization responsible for raising the monies for the Mayors’ Veterans Appreciation Day event for the last five (5) years. 

We have also secured the web addresss www.HoosierHeroesAppreciationDay.com & www.HoosierHeroes.net which is currently directed to a separate page on our website.  As this project develops, we will post that information on that web page.

Veterans Support Council (VSC) is he fiduciary for our Hoosier Heroes Appreciation Day (HHAD) event. All checks for donations should be made out to "VSC d/b/a HHAD" and mailed to Veterans Support Council, Inc. 2457 E Washington St, Suite F, Indianapolis, IN 46201 

Please call me at 317-632-0500 or email me at Hawkins@Veterans.ooo with any ideas or suggestions you may have. 

Sincerely, 

Don Hawkins
President & CEO of VSC
Chairman of HHAD Planning Committee

For Medical or Physical Emergencies:

  • New -  dial 988 - By dialing 988 your call will be immediately routed to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
    • The current Lifeline phone number (1-800-273-8255) is always available to people in emotional distress or suicidal crisis, even after 988 is launched nationally.,
  • If you or someone you are helping is hurt or in imminent danger, please get to a phone and dial 9-1-1 for immediate help.
  • If you or someone you know is feeling suicidal or facing a crisis, dial 2-1-1 in Indy or 1-(866) 211-9966 for immediate help.
  • If you are a victim of domestic violence, dial 1-(800) 332-7385 in Indy for help.

For Non-Emergencies:

  • If you are a Veteran, or a family member of a Veteran, in search of information on how to get goods or services you/they may need, you can dial 2-1-1 or contact one of the Service Providers or Veterans Organizations listed on our "Resources" page.
  • Cellphone users in Marion County may now dial 3-1-1 to reach the non-emergency line for IMPD and other Marion County dispatchers. The non-emergency phone number for callers using landlines is (317) 327-3811.

Please Note:

  • VSC is not a provider of any financial assistance or direct services other than Information and Referrals on where to get goods, services, programs, and benefits for Veterans, the Military, and their families.

Disclaimer:

  • This is a private website and is NOT affiliated with any U.S. government or U.S. Armed Forces agencies.
  • We reserve the right to monitor the content of this website and regret that some suggested or recommended resources may not be accepted for one reason or another.
  • The information and organizations listed on this website do not necessarily mean that we endorse their information, data, or their resources.  We have done our best to include information and resources that benefit our Veterans, the Military Community, and their Families.

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