Health First Supports Veterans Day Thank You Breakfast at Brevard Veterans Memorial Center

Health First counts nearly 600 associates as Veterans, including retired and current active military reserves

BREVARD COUNTY • MERRITT ISLAND, FLORIDA—With a humble and heartfelt “thank you,” Health First today partnered with the Veteran’s Memorial Center, Brevard Veterans Council, and East Coast Shuckers for a special Veterans Day breakfast and celebration service.

The theme of today’s event, “Veterans Pride in America,” also included a special ceremony, music, informational tables from many Veteran service organizations, and free museum entry for attendees.

Donn Weaver is Chairman of the Brevard Veterans Council, vice president of the Veterans Memorial Center, and a former Army officer. He says he enjoys and appreciates the community support of the Veterans Memorial Center, Military Officers Association, and many other organizations.

“We are a community relationship here with people like Health First and many, many others – Saint Francis Reflections to name just a couple. The support from these organizations and across the county is very important to us. Veterans Day to day is very meaningful, and we hope to get 300-to-400 people to come out and remind them about our Veterans,” said Weaver.

“This is a very important today to me for many reasons. Number one, we have less than one-half of 1 percent of our current population today serving in the military. There are fewer veterans in this generation than ever before, and we have a situation where in our schools, in our culture, families are less and less likely to have Veterans as a family member.

“More and more kids are growing up without veterans in their family. So, we have an obligation on Veterans Day to remind Americans, especially our youth, what veterans have done. As I always say with our veterans, there is no America without Veterans. Memorial Day recognizes full sacrifice – those who gave it all. I lost one of my sons in combat in Afghanistan in 2010. He was a 101st Airborne United States Army. I can’t change that. But I can help Americans understand why it’s so important to honor veterans and to remember that service and sacrifice,” said Weaver.

Fellow event organizer and U.S. Army veteran Don Pearsall also discussed the importance of Veterans Day.

“Unlike Memorial Day where we grieve lost lives, today we celebrate the people who made it all possible, that we have everything we have today. Veterans Day is special to me personally. Memorial Day, of course, is also special – I lost my son in the Gulf War in 1993. We can acknowledge the sacrifices of all within the military branches,” said Pearsall, also chairman of the Veteran Memorial Center board.

“We do these Veterans Day thank you events every year, and it’s just something I always look forward to, especially when we have an opportunity to thank our veterans.”

As the largest employer and healthcare provider in Brevard County, Health First counts nearly 600 associates as Veterans, including retired and current active military reserves.

Health First is also proud to start participating with Hiring Our Heroes, a 12-week program that connects transitioning service members to opportunities for hands-on training, mentoring, and potentially future employment. Candidates are interviewed and matched with host companies, then complete on-the-job training while working four days a week.

WATCH: The Brevard Veterans Memorial Center, 400 Sykes Creek Pkwy, Merritt Island, honored Veterans on Monday. This special Veterans Day Ceremony was live-streamed on Space Coast Daily and moderated by Steve Wilson and Orville Susong of the Friday Night Locker Room.

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