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Board approves $500 for VetFest; organizer says group is now independent nonprofit
Summary
The board voted to award $500 to VetFest; the event's organizer told supervisors VetFest Southwest Virginia is now a standalone nonprofit and described event plans and community services.
The Russell County Board of Supervisors voted to award $500 to VetFest Southwest Virginia on Wednesday after a presentation by an event organizer who said the group has incorporated as a separate nonprofit.
Doretta (presented as "Dora" on the agenda) told the board that VetFest will be held Sept. 27 at the Lebanon town park and that the organization has separated from Fallen Warriors to operate independently. She described VetFest activities — a 5K/12K run, inflatables, a pet show, canine demonstrations and a veterans breakfast — and said the group also is providing direct services such as yard work and household assistance for veterans.
After an inquiry from supervisors about whether the event funding already exists in the county budget, county staff said there was no standing appropriation for VetFest following the groups' separation; the $5,000 appropriation from 2022 had been for a Fallen Warriors project. A supervisor moved and the board approved a $500 appropriation for VetFest this year.
Separately, a board member asked staff to draft a letter to Fallen Warriors urging the group's participation in the county fair event, noting the county had made a prior donation to the Fallen Warriors wall and would like a Russell County section present at the fair.
The board also discussed whether the $500 appropriation should be an annual line item; staff confirmed the appropriation was a one-time discretionary allocation.
