Patriotic Ball honors vets, supports memorial

By: Stephanie Prokop
   BORDENTOWN CITY — The seventh annual Patriotic Ball is returning to the area Saturday, Nov. 11 at the Olde York Country Club.
   The gala event, hosted by the Bordentown City Veterans Memorial Committee, will raise funds for upkeep of the new memorial, located across from the Farnsworth House, on Farnsworth Avenue near Railroad Avenue. The memorial includes over 1,000 paver stones that can be purchased and engraved.
   The pavers, available for $150, are 6 by 12 inches, and can be engraved with a single name, or "In Memory of" or from "The Family of." "They’re available to anybody and everybody, not necessarily a Bordentown resident, and even for people who are living," said John Wehrman, co-chairman of the Veterans Memorial Committee.
   This year’s event will honor four distinguished honorees, all whom have served in the armed services:
   Col. Philip A. Cooke, who served in the Vietnam war; Debbie DiVuono, a Bordentown City resident, who has been behind the committee since its inception, and has been a driving force since the start of the memorial planning; Edward Eget, who served in Vietnam and received numerous air awards and two Purple Hearts, Maj. Jeffery J. Eget, who is currently employed by the state police, and is a member of the National Guard who recently returned from Iraq.
   The honorees will be presented with an engraved granite paver that will be featured in the memorial. The Veterans Memorial Committee also will present speeches that give narratives and highlight the honorees’ careers.
   This presentation will be preceded by a quick speech remembering all those who have served, past and present, including prisoners of war and soldiers missing in action.
   "It’s such a big town, we thought it should be something that we have every year," said Mr. Wehrman.
   The cost for the event is $125 per person, with approximately $70 of that cost going straight to the donation for the memorial. Dinner and dancing are included for the price. There will be a cash bar, and black tie attire is optional.
   Anyone interested in attending the event should contact John Wehrman at (609) 330-8150 by Nov. 1.