Mount Prospect veterans groups to host sailors for Thanksgiving

Mount Prospect Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1337 and American Legion Post 525 will welcome 50 Navy recruits from the Great Lakes Naval Training Center on Thanksgiving Day for the "Adopt-a-Sailor" program.

This event has been held in the area for 24 years as a thank the to the sailors for their service. Last year was the first time it was held in Mount Prospect.

The recruits will be picked up by bus on Thanksgiving morning, Nov. 23, and arrive at the Moose Lodge, 601 N. Main St., in Mount Prospect, about 8:30 a.m. The building serves as the Posts' headquarters.

The day will begin with greetings from MC and Korea Defense Veteran Casey Bachara and Mayor Paul Hoefert, followed by some breakfast treats. At about 11 a.m., the "entertainment" part of the program will begin with an introduction of the Commanders of Post 1337 and Post 525.

Following that, a local magician has been invited to perform and a couple of Post members will play songs on their guitars and take requests. The entertainment concludes with a version of "Anchors Away" sung by all of the recruits.

The turkey and trimmings will be served at about 1 p.m., followed by desserts. During the day the sailors can watch football games on one the TVs in the room and use the phones and computers set up in banks to contact their families.

This is especially meaningful for the recruits because they are in basic training and not permitted to have personal cellphones or computers.

The sailors will board the buses at about 4:30 p.m. to return to the base.

Anyone interested in making a donation to this event can send a donation by check, with Adopt-a-Sailor on the memo to line, to either: Mount Prospect VFW Post 1337, P.O. Box 24, Mount Prospect, IL 60056, or Mount Prospect American Legion Post 525, P.O. Box 173, Mount Prospect, IL 60056.

For more information, contact Casey Bachara at mcgee045@icloud.com or (847) 299-3613.