We are thrilled to announce the 11th Annual Veterans Trust Fund Dinner, hosted by Friends of Delaware Veterans Inc. and the Delaware Commission of Veterans Affairs. This special event is dedicated to raising essential funds to support our veterans who have bravely served our nation.
Event Details
Date: November 7, 2024 from 6:00PM until 9:00PM
Location:Modern Maturity Center, 1121 Forrest Avenue, Dover DE 19904
Attire: black tie optional
Tickets: $100 each
How to Purchase Tickets
To purchase tickets, simply scan the QR code with your smartphone or email dos_ovs@delaware.gov.
We've kept the price at $100 per seat that will include a full-course meal and dessert, world-class entertainment and silent and live auctions. You can pay via the attached QR graphic below or mail a check made to Friends of Delaware Veterans, C/O Wendy Davis, Office of Veterans Svc., 802 Silver Lake Blvd., Dover, DE 19904.
Tickets will be available until Tuesday, October 29th at midnight. We expect a sold-out audience, so reserve your seat or table now.
Wounded Warrior Colonel Laurel “Buff” Burkel, author, mentor and motivational speaker, will serve as our keynote speaker. Retired after 28 years of service in the U.S. Air Force, she served as a senior navigator with more than 2,100 flight hours (including 285 combat and combat support hours) in F-4, C-141, and C-130 aircraft, she commanded an operational C-130 squadron, both at home and deployed. She has served at Headquarters Air Force, joint, and international levels, including tours in South Korea, Canada, and Afghanistan.
On her last deployment in 2015, Colonel Burkel served as the advisor to the Afghan Air Force’s Director of Training in Kabul, Afghanistan. Her deployed tour was cut short due to the injuries she sustained from the October 2015 NATO helicopter crash in Kabul that took the lives of two of her subordinates.
Countertenor Terry Barber, who performed in 2021, has agreed to return by popular request and will perform selections from "Music of the Night," including favorites from his tours aimed at celebrating our veterans. He has performed across the globe and will sing in memory of his grandfather, a WWII Ace. Terry has been a soloist for the Metropolitan Opera, Carnegie Hall, London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall, and Moscow’s Svetlanov Hall, to name a few. His voice can be heard on every major record label with a range of artists from Madonna to the London Philharmonic. His recording, a re-imagination of songs made famous by the band Queen’s lead singer, Freddie Mercury, was considered for 8 Grammys. (See photo below).
As always, individual and organizational sponsors are welcome and will be included in our event program, including sponsorship of an 8-person table for $1,000, vs. eight individual tickets. Suggested sponsorship levels include Platinum at $10,000; Gold: $5,000; Silver, $2,500; and individual at $1,200. The Friends of Delaware Veterans, EIN 46-5296632, is a 501c3 and contributions are tax-deductible. We've already received $10,000 and $5,000 sponsors in addition to individual seats.
Your business or individual support by providing a gift for our auctions is always welcome. Email Wendy.davis@delaware.gov for information or call 302-739-2792. Visit https://delawareveteranstrustfund.com/ for information and a listing of our Friends board.
For any inquiries, please contact us at dos_ovs@delaware.gov.
Terry Barber
