Happy Hour and Saloon Night are two great nights each month when Friends of the Soldiers Home “invades” our veteran residents with food, drink, fun and above all, companionship. At the recent Happy Hour, resident extraordinaire Ray returned to his duties as our DJ. We had a nice mix of older and younger residents. The Nam Nights always enter into a fascinating discussion with residents and this night was no exception. A handful of World War II veterans joined us! One week after Happy Hour, it was a Super Saloon Night in the Defender’s Inn as volunteers and residents mingled to the soothing saxophone sounds of Herb Spice and pianist Collin Chambers. A special guest appearance at the event by Washington Wizards cheerleaders certainly brightened everyone’s spirits with their cheer and good will. Regular Saloon Night attendees enjoyed the pizza and beverages. Remember, you can join us at these events! Write volunteerfriendsofsoldiers (at) gmail (dot) com to learn more.
Photos and stories by Liz Cocke, Kerry Hamblin and John Hughes.
Geneva Renee is always a hit when she performs on behalf of Friends of the Soldiers Home at the Armed Forces Retirement Home-D.C. This was particularly true Tuesday night, when a big crowd of Home residents at Defenders Inn on campus and several Friends volunteers enjoyed Renee’s singing. The event was extra special because Geneva was joined by a guest vocalist, B. Jackson Caesar. Some residents danced while others sang or hummed along to the tunes they knew quite well. Friends purchased drinks and pizza to complete the fun-time atmosphere. Thank you volunteers and donors for making the monthly Saloon Nights possible! The next Saloon Night is March 1. Write 
October’s Saloon Night might well be considered the best one yet. We had over 55 residents show up for two entertainment groups. The evening kicked off with Resident Waymon Lucas playing the guitar and singing, and then halfway through the evening, our surprise guest performers the Georgetown Phantoms stopped by for some acapella fun. They were so entertaining they received a standing ovation at the end of the night! Residents and volunteers alike were transfixed by all the songs, including crowd favorite “Ain’t no Mountain High Enough”.
(Dancing to the sweet music at the October Saloon Night.)
he first Saloon Night of 2015 was a hit. Beautiful singing and wonderful volunteers who came in to the Defender’s Inn on the DC Soldiers Home campus made everyone forget about how cold it was outside on Jan. 6. This marked the 20th Saloon 
Saloon Night with Friends, the holiday version, got veterans into the spirit of the season with toasting, dancing and an overall good time. Friends of the Soldiers Home brought beer and volunteers, and the Home’s resident DJ extraordinaire, Billy White, supplied the tunes. What more was needed? Just the laughter, smiles and fun that ensued. Too bad — Saloon Nights are over for 2014. The good news is we’ll be back with the next one on Jan. 6 2015! We love these Saloon Nights as small, but wonderful, ways to say thank you to our veteran friends at the Armed Forces Retirement Home-D.C. campus.
