Nov. 10, 2010 | Employees at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) honored military veterans and service members with a series of November events, including delivery of 125 care packages to patients at the VA hospital in North Little Rock.

The 2010 Veterans Awareness Celebration included recognition of about 280 UAMS employees who have served or are serving in the military. A video tribute to those employees was played during the annual employee service awards ceremony that included a military color guard.

Departments celebrated veterans in their areas and Nutrition Services provided free soft drinks and cookies to veterans. UAMS also hosted a Veterans Education and Benefits Fair, where 20 veterans’ organizations and agencies were on hand to answer questions about retirement and health benefits, education opportunities, counseling and other issues.

Employees donated items and funds to make up the care packages that were delivered Nov. 10, the day before Veterans Day, to long-term patients in the Eugene J. Towbin Healthcare Center.

“Our Veterans Awareness Celebration committee wanted to find a way to recognize and thank our veterans for their service,” said Odette Woods, a director in the UAMS Office of Human Resources.

Employees gave $605 in addition to clothing, personal care items and entertainment items (board games, puzzles, playing cards, books, DVDs, checkers). The American Red Cross donated camouflage baseball caps and the dental hygiene program in the College of Health Related Professions donated 125 toothbrushes and toothpaste.

Each care package included toiletries, candy and an entertainment item. Each patient received a “Thank You” card signed by UAMS employees and a poster colored by a 3- or 4-year-old enrolled in Woodruff Early Childhood Center.

Woods said the celebration was organized along the themes of celebrating (the video tribute), educating (the benefits fair), sacrificing (the collection drive for the care packages) and thanking (thanking veterans for their service).

Members of the Veterans Awareness Celebration committee are Pam Anderson, Bob Bishop, Joe Cook, Jeri Garland, Stacy Hoyle, Tim Irby, Teletha Leonard, Michelle Phillips, Mark Smedley, Otis Tyler, Dawn Wieda and Woods. The members included veterans, current members of the armed forces and those with family members or spouses who are veterans or now serving.