Red Kettle Campaign Kickoff for Salvation Army
Saturday, Nov. 23 | Magnolia Grill | Doors Open 9 a.m.
The Magnolia Grill is pleased to host the Red Kettle Campaign Kickoff for 2024 for the Salvation Army serving Okaloosa and Walton Counties, continuing the tradition of more than 10 decades of service to the community. This year’s Red Kettle Campaign Honorary Chair is Journalist Collin Bestor from the Northwest Florida Daily News as they continue their Empty Stocking Fund tradition. The public is invited for refreshments beginning at 9 a.m. with the Red Kettle Campaign donation being made at 10 a.m. For Information contact Tom Rice at (850) 302-0266.
CBA and FORCE BLUE Team Up for Coastal Conservation at Liza Jackson Park
The Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance (CBA), in collaboration with Okaloosa County Coastal Resources, Oyster Corps and FORCE BLUE, has successfully kicked off a major coastal restoration project at Liza Jackson Park. Sponsored by Publix, this initiative aims to create a living oyster reef shoreline, enhance habitat restoration, and strengthen coastal resilience.
Veterans from FORCE BLUE, a unique organization that redeploys retired special operations veterans on conservation missions, made an extraordinary contribution. Over two days, they moved 40 tons of limestone substrate, a remarkable start to building what will become a thriving oyster reef. This project not only underscores the importance of collaboration between veterans and conservationists, but also highlights the unique and inspiring role that veterans play in preserving our coastal environments.
“When I first heard about Force Blue, I was so inspired by their coastal conservation mission,” said Executive Director of CBA, Alison McDowell. “After working with them for the past two days, I can say that their work ethic and passion for conservation were just as inspiring in person. CBA, the Okaloosa County Coastal Resources Team, Oyster Corps and FORCE BLUE worked together seamlessly to move an amazing 40 tons of rock in just under 4 hours, and every minute was fun!”
This multi-organization partnership marks an exciting step forward in the restoration of Liza Jackson Park’s shorelines. It also sets the foundation for future oyster reefs, which will not only improve water quality, prevent erosion and create habitat for marine life, but also bring a sense of hope and optimism for the long-term health of our coastal environments.
FORCE BLUE’s mission is clear: Recruit highly skilled veterans. Train them in marine conservation, and redeploy them on critical environmental missions. Their work not only benefits coastal communities, but also offers veterans a chance to continue serving in a new, meaningful way. Visit basinalliance.org.
4th Annual Thanksgiving Fixin’s Outreach
Presented by Gathering Church with support from Crop Drop, 400 families in need will receive Thanksgiving Fixin’s this holiday season. There is no pre-registration or income verification. However, a state issued ID with a local address is in order to receive.
Drive through is Saturday, November 23rd, from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. or until all food has been distributed at the Parking lot of Gathering Church, 151 Eglin Pkwy. Suite B, Fort Walton Beach.
Follow signs and volunteers: Drive Through Only line up/entry will be Troy St. NE and exiting the church onto Hughes St. NE. For more info contact nicci.meng@comegather.com.
The Republican Women of Okaloosa Federated presented the book, The President Will See You Now, a memoir of President Reagan, to the Fort Walton Beach Library in honor of longtime member Jean Dutton and includes a plaque in the book dedicated to Jean’s memory.
The Vietnam Refugee Camp at Eglin: New Historical Exhibit at the Heritage Museum of NW Florida
By Barbara Palmgren
As a trustee for the Heritage Museum of Northwest Florida, it is an honor to announce an exhibit being planned at the Heritage Museum of Northwest Florida in 2025: the Vietnam Refugee Camp at Eglin AFB.
When the museum received the Impact 100 grant last November for a 1,400 sq. ft. Exhibit Hall addition to the museum, we knew we could honor a historical event that happened 50 years ago in our community. Several years ago, a young woman, Kim Delevett, from San Diego, Calif., traveled to our area and spent time in the museum’s research library looking at articles and photos about the camp. She was a small child in the camp and wanted to remember this time when her older brother and she were saved by the U.S. military.
Working with Kim and several others, we are moving forward now that we have available space, to share memories of this historical event. Kim and former Vietnam refugees living in California and Texas currently, have bonded over the years and will return as a group to visit our area the first weekend in May 2025. We anticipate having former refugees visiting the exhibit during the 2025 landmark 50th anniversary.
The new exhibit hall will house photos, newspaper reproductions, artifacts and oral histories to highlight the three phases of this project that resettled over 10,000 Vietnamese in the months of May through September, 1975. Eglin Air Force Base was one of three camps in the nation that housed refugees.
As the museum develops this project to have it ready for 2025, we are asking former refugees from this camp to contact us so we can interview them about their experience at the camp for our oral histories. We also want to interview personnel at Eglin or community volunteers who helped with the project.
If you were a part of this historical event, please phone the Heritage Museum of Northwest Florida at 850-678-2615, and provide your contact information. Help us celebrate a memorable time for you and this nation!
The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and located at 115 Westview Ave. in Valparaiso.
