Second event planned for Operation Choppers

After taking a bite out of the cost of dental care for veterans earlier this fall, the second Operation Choppers event is being held this weekend.

Operation Choppers started as a steak feed held earlier this fall at the Palmer Veterans of Foreign Wars post. After that successful event, more people are offering to help.

"Ted and Marilyn Anderson called me up and asked if they could host a steak feed too," said Bob Moore of the Vietnam Veterans of America organization. "Ted is a Vietnam veteran with the 101st Airborne and a charter member of the Vietnam Veterans of America chapter here. He's another veteran who wants to help veterans."

The Andersons own the Mug Shot Saloon, where the steak feed is being held tomorrow from 2 p.m. to whenever, and again on Sunday from noon on.

"It's a big football weekend and all the games -- college and the NFL -- are going to be during the steak feed," Moore said.

Operation Choppers was born out of a long friendship between Moore and a fellow vet who had to undergo some dental work. It turned out the Veterans Administration will pull a veteran's teeth if they are in bad shape, but will only make dentures for veterans if they are already rated at 50-percent disabled. Money raised through the steak feeds goes to help pay for dentures.

Moore said he has been approached by not only the Andersons, but other groups as well.

Tickets for the event are $12.50 and include New York steaks and all the trimmings.

For more information about the event, interested people can call Anderson at 376-1617.