REGION — The Salute to Veterans Breakfast, dedicated to honoring Massachusetts veterans and active-duty military, will take place on Thursday, Nov. 9 at Danversport, 161 Elliott St., Danvers. The event is sponsored by The North Shore Chamber of Commerce in partnership with UniCare and O’Donnell Funeral Services and will occur from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
One of the event’s highlights is the presentation of the Minuteman Service Award, which recognizes individuals and organizations for their unwavering support of military and veterans’ communities. This year’s awardees are Joe LeBlanc, director of veterans services for North Andover and Boxford, and Paradise Dental Associates, LLC, based in Salem.
LeBlanc, during his time as Veterans Services Director, has actively worked to ensure veterans’ sacrifices are acknowledged. His efforts include advocating for Purple Heart community designations in North Andover and Boxford, overseeing the correction of misspelled names on the World War I Memorial, collaborating with the Lawrence Exchange Club to organize a “Field of Honor” in North Andover, and facilitating a COVID-19 vaccination clinic with the Bedford Veterans Hospital and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2104.
Paradise Dental Associates, LLC, has a history of providing dental care to veterans, offering free care on a dedicated day in November and continuing to work with the VA department to provide dental treatment at reduced or no cost to all veterans.
The keynote speaker for the breakfast is Retired Command Sergeant Major Skip Soderholm, a decorated combat veteran with 20 years of service in the Army’s Special Missions Unit. Soderholm’s extensive service includes 11 combat deployments to the Middle East, participation in over 800 combat missions, and receiving 10 Bronze Star medals (two for valor) and three Purple Heart medals.
The event welcomes all veterans and military members to attend for free, courtesy of UniCare, O’Donnell Funeral Services, and Chamber member businesses. Registration in advance is required. General public tickets are priced at $75, and Chamber members can purchase them for $55.
