CALLAHAN, Fla. — A veterans organization in Nassau County is looking to the community for support after the cancellation of the Northeast Florida Fair due to COVID-19 concerns, which left it with a major gap in funding.
AMVETS, which stands for American Veterans, has posts all over the country. Nassau County's Post 2007, headed by Commander Randy Zakrzewski, is selling yard signs in a departure from their usual fundraiser at the fair.
"We lost the local fair due to COVID, so we're trying to sell these and fundraise to assist the veterans in our county," Zakrzewski said. "We try to do many things with our money, from wheelchair ramps to food to medical bills, anything we can do for our local veterans."
Zakrzewski said the idea for the signs, which are red, white and blue with the silhouette of a soldier and the words "God Bless America" at the top was to show patriotism in the community.
"We're in a time of hurt for us as a country," he said. "We need to allow people to represent this country, red, white and blue."
Around three-quarters of the organization's funding relied on their stand at the fair, meaning the group has a large gap to make up.
The signs, which can be purchased for a $10 donation, are being printed by a local sign-maker, Florida Sun Printing.
"This is one of our most vital things right now 'cause without fundraising, we don't have the funds to assist in helping our veterans who are sometimes in a time of need," Zakrzewski said.
If you're interested in purchasing a sign, they can be found in the following Callahan locations:
- Brandie's Ace Hardware, 617299 W. Brandies Ave, Callahan, FL 32011
- Callahan BBQ, 450077 State Rd 200 #1, Callahan, FL 32011
- Nassau County Record (newspaper offices)
- Westside Journal (newspaper offices)
Zakrzewski said donations can also be made to the organizations at VyStar, donation account #2601624.