Family picnic helps support troops

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - A big picnic in Fort Wayne Sunday helped support the troops.

Approximately 300 people were expected to go to the cookout hosted by AM Vets and the VFW.

It’s a chance for veterans to get together and talk about their experiences, but it’s also a fun family day.

“It gets the veterans together so they can kind of reminisce, you know a lot of these people thinking back to combat and other situations and they really don’t know how to relate to society. So we bring them together...and talk things over. It’s just kind of a therapy session among us,” said Jim Gillie, Commander of AM Vets Post 33.

There were all types of activities for children such as a moon walk, cotton candy machine and a snow machine. Many of the items at the event were donated by sponsors.

“This is here today to give back to the families that participate and is open to the public as well, but for those who fight everyday or have fought or going to fight again and they’re the reason our country is the way it is, that’s why we are free. So we just try to make sure they know how much we appreciate it,” said Tonya Houchin, VFW post 1421

The cookout ended at seven at AM Vets.