Saturday barbecue thanks volunteers at Ellis Lake
They pick up trash, trim bushes, clean and polish markers, and otherwise help care for several veterans' memorial sites in the area.
Today at 1 p.m. the Yuba Sutter Volunteers — formerly Ellis Lake Volunteers — will celebrate a second year of hard work with a public barbecue in Veterans Park in Marysville.
The event will feature a live band, free food and raffle to benefit the Central Valley Homeless Veterans Assistance Program.
Volunteers founder Charles Ford says the group's focus, which had once been to help care for the area around Ellis Lake in Marysville, has shifted to veterans sites.
Those who used to care for the memorials, including longtime veterans advocate Chuck Carver, "are up in age and not able to do it now," Ford said. "So we do it. We take care of the flags and keep things clean."
His group, which started with a couple of families, now numbers 20 regular volunteers, he said.
They get recruited regularly to help patrol public events such as the Yuba City Christmas Stroll and the Marysville Peach Festival.
CONTACT Nancy Pasternack at npasternack@appealdemocrat.com or 749-4781. Find her on Facebook at /ADnpasternack or on Twitter at @ADnpasternack.
