Freedom Fest returns June 6 to support Local Veterans of Cape Girardeau
FOX23 News at 9 p.m
Cape Girardeau, Mo. (KBSI)- Freedom Fest will return to Cape Girardeau on June 6, bringing live music, fireworks and family activities while raising money for the Missouri Veterans Home Foundation.
Organizers will host the third annual event at Century Casino and continues to grow each year, organizers said.
Nick Reynolds, a board member for the Missouri Veterans Home Foundation and a retired Navy chief of 24 years, said the event was created to enhance the lives of veterans living at the home.
“It started as an additional fundraiser for the foundation for the Missouri Veterans Home here in Cape — and that’s the big deal,” Reynolds said. “A lot of folks don’t realize the foundation pays for the veterans at the home to go do fun stuff — Cardinals games, steak dinners, the traveling they do. The state does a great job taking care of the vets. This is just an added bonus.”
Previous festivals have funded improvement and special projects at the facility.
“It’s had a huge impact,” Reynolds said. “There’s a pavilion going up behind the veterans home that we paid for, where families can visit this spring. That’s exciting.”
Reynolds said the event also raises awareness about the veterans home and the services it provides.
“We have the local veterans home right here in our backyard,” he said. “It’s an asset. We want people to understand what the foundation does and the great services provided to our veterans.”
This year’s festival falls on D-Day, a date Reynolds said adds additional meaning to the celebration.
“It’s a pretty humbling experience,” he said. “When the veterans from the home come to the concert, we’re really celebrating them. There’s a lot of camaraderie in that environment.”
Reynolds said the event is powered entirely by volunteers.
“No one’s getting paid,” he said. “They’re volunteering their time for the veterans.”
Gates open at 2:30 p.m. Additional ticket and donation information is available at, visit FreedomFestCape.com
For more information call 573-986-4040 or email MVHFoundation@gmail.com.
