Salute to Veteran Patients Week 2025

This year, the National Salute to Veteran Patients will be observed from Sunday, February 9 through Saturday, February 15, 2025. If you or your organization are interested in helping to write to patients in Virginia, please contact us at awilson@vawarmemorial.org to receive more information.

This is a great opportunity for not only individuals, but scout groups, classrooms, and employee teams to come together in a safe way to support Virginia veterans.

     

How to Help

1. If you have agreed to help, the Virginia War Memorial Foundation will provide cards and envelopes for you and your group. We have them available for pick up at the Memorial (621 South Belvidere Street, Richmond, VA 23220) If you live out of the Richmond area or prefer to make/use your own cards and materials, we encourage that too.

2. We are asking volunteers to each try to complete ten (10) individual cards to send to Veteran Patients across Virginia.

3. Return completed cards to the Memorial by Friday, January 31, and War Memorial staff and volunteers will ensure they are delivered OR

4. If you would like to send cards directly to VA facilities, addresses of the VA Hospitals in Virginia, as well as the contact information for each location. The office to ask for is the Center for Development & Civic Engagement (CDCE) at each hospital, and the Activities Director at Sitter and Barfoot Veterans Care Center.

PRINTABLE INSTRUCTIONS

Starting the Letter

We suggest starting with “Dear Hero”, “Dear Service Member”, “Dear Veteran”, or a creative greeting of your own. It is a good idea not to use “Dear Soldier” or “Dear Marine” or “Dear Sailor” as they refer to members of specific military branches and organizations may not be able to guarantee that the letters will be delivered to individuals within those branches.

What to Say:

A Big Dose of Gratitude:

  • Thank you for bravely doing what you were called to do so we can safely do what we’re free to do.
  • Thank you for serving our nation, our debt can never be repaid.
  • Thank you for defending our freedom.
  • God bless you and thank you for your bravery.
  • Thank you for your sacrifice, your bravery, and the example you set for us all.
  • We are thinking about you always, and especially this week.
  • We owe you a debt of gratitude, but more than that, we owe you our freedom.
  • There’s no way to thank our veterans for everything they sacrifice for our freedom, but during Veteran Patients week, we do our best to try. So thank you.
  • For your service, your bravery and your hard work, we thank you.

 Make a connection: Don’t hesitate to add personal information. Feel free to share a little about yourself, your hometown, your hobbies, work, school, etc.

Consider a Quote:

If you’re at a loss for words, remember someone at some point probably said the perfect thing. Here are a few examples to get you started:

  • “My heroes are those who risk their lives every day to protect our world and make it a better place.” — Sidney Sheldon
  • “How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!” — Maya Angelou
  • “A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.” -Joseph Campbell
  • “This will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave.” – Elmer Davis
  • “Never was so much owed by so many to so few” –Winston Churchill

Include your signature: Don’t forget to include your name and, if pertinent, your organization.

Artwork: We encourage you to create your own art, particularly, if you’re working with a school group or an art institution.

Stickers and Glitter: Thin stick on images are nice to include, if you would like. Please avoid using glitter. It makes a mess.

PRINTABLE WRITING PROMPTS

I’m not in the Richmond Area. How can I participate?

We are thrilled to have volunteers and friends from across the state–and the country–help with this endeavor. While you may not be able to use the cards we provided at the Memorial, you can still use Thank you cards, Valentines, blank cards, or homemade/handwritten letters. We are providing mailing addresses and sample language to help get you started.

What should I write?

To help get you started, we have attached a list of suggested phrases, but feel free to use your own language. We encourage scout and school groups to draw or share a meaningful story, if you like. Be creative!

Do I have to use the Memorial cards?

No, if you want to purchase or create your own cards—or valentines!—we encourage you to do so.

Can I write more than 10 cards?

Of course! We want to reach as many of Virginia’s veterans as possible. If you want to write or create additional cards, please let us know.

I have a connection to Veteran patients in Virginia. Can I request cards be sent to my organization?

Yes. We would love to expand our reach to help let as many of Virginia’s veterans as possible know we are thinking of them. Please reach out to us at aburton@vawarmemorial.org to find out next steps.

Did we miss something?

Feel free to email aburton@vawarmemorial.org or call 804.786.2069 if you have additional questions.

The Foundation staff will happily deliver all cards and letters returned to our office before Friday, January 31. However, if you are unable to get to the Memorial or wish to mail directly to Veteran Health organizations, we will provide a list of places to which we are mailing cards.

PRINTABLE MAILING LIST