August 29, 2008

On October 23, 2008 HHV will open its doors to veteran participants, VA officials, volunteers and other festival sponsors.

Each year in October the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) takes one of its Special Events-the National Veterans Creative Arts Festival-to a different city and this year the Festival will be hosted by the Loma Linda, California VA Healthcare System. "Help Hospitalized Veterans (HHV) is thrilled that the 2008 Festival will be so close to its National Headquarters" said Mike Lynch, Executive Director for the organization.

HHV has sponsored the Festival for some 18 years, and this is the first real opportunity to share its manufacturing and distribution facility with those in attendance. "Veteran patients from around the world have experienced the therapeutic value of arts and crafts and to have many of those folks here in our own backyard was reason enough for the HHV Board of Directors to decide to do something special for them" said Lynch. "Let's give them a tour of HHV, dinner and entertainment right at its National Headquarters to demonstrate to all of HHV's guests how much the organization appreciates our nation's veterans and the outstanding care provided to them by the Department of Veterans Affairs Healthcare System."

On October 23, 2008 HHV will open its doors to veteran participants, VA officials, volunteers and other festival sponsors - some 400 in all. Additionally, HHV is pleased to welcome some 60 HHV Craft Care Specialists from around the country. These HHV employees help to augment VA staff in the distribution and application of therapeutic arts and crafts kits to veteran patients. Over a million kits were delivered by HHV last fiscal year bringing its total distribution since 1971 to over 23 million craft kits. Oftentimes the HHV completed kits are entered into the Festival competition and chosen by local and national judges as GOLD medal entries for the visual art competition. HHV distributes some 99% of all the therapeutic arts & craft kits utilized by VA and military facilities at no charge to the facility or the patient.

*HHV is a sponsor of Re-Creation, USA - a troupe of college-age youth who have taken a year (or more) out of their lives and dedicated it to unpaid touring at VA facilities nationwide. They are highly talented performers of a variety of theme-show song & dance productions who bring energy and joy to veteran audiences on a near-daily basis, with patriotic and classic TV show presentations.

"This entire evening is going to be a BLAST for all our guests and staff, Lynch said. "Thank you veterans for making this all possible with your wonderful talents and your service to our beautiful country!"

For additional Information about the event, contact Jennifer Yizhar, Public Relations 951/926-4500 or email public.relations@hhv.org