Posts by Ed Bejarana

I sat across from Evan Bodle at Texas Roadhouse and put on his Ray-Ban Meta glasses. A quiet voice described the iced tea, the food, and the man across from me with striking accuracy—details a sighted person takes for granted. The glasses connected to free Be My Eyes volunteers and showed me how much of the everyday world can be opened for someone who is blind.

The Veterans Club is launching a new Sandpoint, Idaho chapter. The inaugural gathering is Monday, November 9, 2026 at 3:00 PM at the Sandpoint Elks Lodge #1376 (Golf Course), 30196 Highway 200, Ponderay. Open to all military veterans and first responders. Elks membership is not required. No dues, no demands—just connection, conversation, and belonging.

Patriot Pour looks ordinary—coffee, conversation, familiar faces. But when someone notices an empty chair and asks, “Anybody heard from Mike?” the real work begins. No clinical language. No program. Just people who know you well enough to miss you. Connection doesn’t replace professional care. It keeps isolation from becoming a crisis. Belonging is practiced, not announced.

Rick and Beth Taylor of TOCNW Productions have donated 20 free tickets to The Veterans Club for the December 19, 2026, 3:00 p.m. performance of Need a Little Christmas at the Kroc Center. Members and their families may reserve seats first-come, first-served through the club calendar. The Radio City-style holiday show features kickline numbers, Santa’s workshop, a USO salute, and a live Nativity.

The Veterans Club is making changes to monthly dinners and RSVP events to reduce the planning burden on volunteers while keeping members connected. Learn how future restaurant gatherings will work, why advance communication matters, and how we’re exploring new ways to share meals, build friendships, and enjoy time together beyond our weekly Patriot Pour meetings.

A list of upcoming events and feature events at The Veterans Club. Also an update on the status of the Monthly Dinners.

Upcoming Navy v Air Force game and a recap of September 2026 dinner gathering.

Eleven members of The Veterans Club visited the Bird Aviation Museum and Invention Center in Hayden to explore historic aircraft and Dr. Forrest Bird’s lifesaving inventions. Afterward, Mark Sales gave the group a tour of his Life Flight helicopter. It was a morning of discovery, shared experiences, and time together, connecting aviation history with the people and equipment serving our community.

The Veterans Club removed 97 inactive subscribers from its weekly newsletter list. The goal was not to exclude anyone, but to maintain an engaged audience, protect email deliverability and avoid paying for addresses that never open our messages. Starting with 92 subscribers, we now have approximately 190 active readers—and plenty of room to continue growing.

This week at The Veterans Club, Ed reflects on the strong turnout of Club members at the Silver Lake Mall 9/11 Remembrance. Plus, get details on the September Dinner Gathering, Navy vs. Air Force football, a special Ladies Night, and more opportunities for veterans and first responders to connect, find purpose, and experience belonging.

From the President — September 13, 2026: Moving forward after the 25th remembrance of 9/11, The Veterans Club continues building connection, purpose, and belonging. This week’s update includes website accessibility improvements, upcoming gatherings, the Veterans Book Club, community event submissions, September dinner details, and an important reminder about political activity.