Veterans Day honors those who have served in the Armed Forces, many of whom are right here in Lexington. 

UK has approximately 800 military-affiliated students, according to UK spokesperson Jay Blanton. Of those, about 350 are student veterans, 100 are military students (in the National Guard or in the reserves) and 350 are military dependents.

Because UK and BCTC share a VA counselor, UK supports approximately 300 more student veterans at BCTC.

There are several opportunities for UK students to honor their classmates this weekend:

Veteran’s Day Celebration

The Student Activities Board, Veteran’s Resource Center and Student Veterans Association have been celebrating veterans all week, culminating in a ceremony on Friday, Nov. 10. Blanton said Dr. Mark F. Newman, the new UK executive vice president for health affairs, will be speaking at the ceremony. It will be at the Main Building Plaza, and lunch will be provided for students after the ceremony.

College of Nursing

The UK College of Nursing will be celebrating veterans on Nov. 10 from 1 to 3 p.m. in the college’s building.

Lexington Veterans Day Parade

The Lexington Veterans Parade “salutes our veterans, active members of the U.S. military and their families,” the parade’s Facebook page said. Those who attend are encouraged to use #LexVeteransDay2017 in their online posts and get more information at the website. The parade begins at 2 p.m. in downtown Lexington.

Lexington VA Medical Center

UK students or citizens of Lexington can support local veterans by supporting the VA hospital. Volunteers can apply by calling (859) 233-4511 ext. 2298 or visiting the Lexington VA Medical Center Voluntary Service Office at 1101 Veterans Dr. 

People can also donate to the hospital, either through money or through needed items. More information about donating, which can be done online, can be found here.