VIDC - Veterans Independence Day Celebration

04/23/2024

Veterans in service to other Veterans:

We want to thank Rand Williams and his daughter for their volunteer time during past VIDC events. It is only with the help of volunteers that we are able to successfully serve our Veterans during our 4th of July celebration. 🇺🇸

Rand served with the US Army Corps of Engineers and Military Police from 1990 - 2014, and retired after 24 years of service as an Lieutenant Colonel.

If you would like to join us as a volunteer or sponsor for this year’s celebration, please click on this link https://annual-vidc.org to sign up.

04/22/2024

We are excited to announce that the VIDC is returning in 2024, and will be celebrating its 10th Year!

Join us in our mission to create a lasting social experience for our Veterans during this year’s Independence Day, and as we “Come Home for Good Food and Fun”.

Our Volunteer & Sponsor sign up forms are now available for those who want to be in service for the men and woman served our country.

Please click here to sign up as a volunteer or sponsor. https://annual-vidc.org

We look forward to having you join us!

02/02/2023

11/22/2021

Early this morning we lost a key member of our VIDC - Veterans Independence Day Celebration team. Val Lerch led our procurement team and made sure everything was in place to ensure that our Veterans were encouraged every July 4th. Val used the handicapped accessible van that he used to care for his late wife and stuffed it full of bread, meat, forks, spoons and whatever it took to feed his beloved Veterans. He was a proud member of the Coast Guard and former Vice Mayor of Long Beach as well as a good husband, father, grandfather and friend. Please keep his family in your prayers. Well done, good and faithful servant.

11/11/2020

On this very different Veterans Day, your friends at the Veterans Independence Day Celebration would like to thank all of our veterans for their sacrifice for our country. Thank you for your service. God willing, we will be back serving you on July 4, 2021.

06/19/2020

As you probably expected, due to Covid-19, we have had to cancel the 2020 Veterans Independence Day Celebration. No one is allowed on the campus of the VA in Long Beach without a specific purpose. We are confident that we will be back next year and will definitely need your help, once again, as a volunteer, honoring those who have given so much. Thank you for your understanding. See you next year!

07/05/2019

Our eighth annual Veteran’s Independence Day Celebration was a great opportunity to honor our area Veterans and their sacrifice for all of us. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our volunteers who served so unselfishly as well as our team leaders and especially all the employees of the Long Beach VA who gave up their holiday to help set up and strike this amazing event. Special thanks to Rich Beam, VA Public Affairs Director, as well as his staff members, Jen and Laisa, who worked alongside our VIDC staff to make this special celebration possible.

We are so grateful to all our vendors and photographers and for the folks who brought their classic cars and the many donors who contributed to our raffle as well as all the entertainers who performed and visited our Veterans in the hospital.

Lastly, none of this would happen without our amazing sponsors, including

Smart and Final
Pollys Pies
Farmer Johns
Smithfield
The Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Chargers
The Los Angeles Dodgers
Marathon Oil
Maderas Steak House
Enterprise Rent a Car
The Showpros
BBQ by Dan.com
A&J Portables
CRISPINAGING
Long Beach Community Band
Compcare Services
SSA Marine
Irwin Family Institute of Higher Learning
Long Beach Balloons & More
Securitas
Port of Long Beach
Harbor Transportation Club
Long Beach Veteran’s Committee
Pacific Landmark Electric, Inc
‪Berth 55 Fish House‬
‪Buonos Authentic Pizzeria‬
Russell Mirkovich and Morrow
Gary Mooney at Green Fleet
Terry Palms.
The Boat House
Queen Mary

Please visit www.annualvidc.com next spring to register for our 2020 Veteran’s Independence Day celebration or visit our VIDC page for photos (coming soon) and current information.

Have an great summer! See you next year!

06/30/2019

We’re just four days from our set up day on Wednesday, July 3rd and we really need more volunteers to prepare for our Veterans Independence Day Celebration! Please visit www.annualvidc.com to sign up to encourage our local Veterans. Thanks so much!

Honoring our Veterans

06/22/2019

We are just 12 days away from our July 3 prep day and July 4 service day for the Veterans Independence Day Celebration. We could still use around 100 volunteers to help pay tribute to the men and women who serve this country so well. Last year, we served over 3,000 meals to deserving Veterans and their families at the Tibor Rubin Long Beach VA Medical Center. Our slots are divided into two hour shifts so you can serve and go about your day. You are free to serve as many shifts as you would like.

This is a very family-friendly activity.
Please invite your friends, family and your meet up groups to join us.

Please go to www.annualvidc.com to register. We’ll see you there!

Honoring our Veterans