Ben Garbacz/Daily Mining Gazette (From left) Gene La Rochelle, Amy Gregersen, Kathy Anthony, Joseph Battisfore, Jenn Jenich-Laplander, Paul Kitti, Joseph Snow, Glen Ekdahl, Robert Jeannotte and Barry Koljonsen pose for a photograph of a donation towards the 2026 Vet Fest from the Keweenaw Health Foundation.

CALUMET — Vet Fest 2026 received a helping hand with a $10,000 donation from the Keweenaw Health Foundation. The donation was presented during the Houghton County Veterans Affairs Board meeting at the Veteran’s Affairs office at Houghton County Memorial Airport. to the board for next year’s festival.

“This donation reflects the foundation’s dedication to the area’s veterans and their families,” Keweenaw Health Foundation Executive Director Jenn Jenich-Laplander said.

The festival taking place in June at Michigan Tech’s SDC covers a variety of veteran interests and assistance programs, though a large portion of them are healthcare centered such as dental resources and certain health screenings. The Foundation will be in attendance at the festival to offer its own programs.

“I think it’s a meaningful step forward to support the wellbeing of veterans and families,” Jenich-Laplander said. “Vet Fest is a really powerful resource to honor veterans’ service and connect them with vital resources and strengthen bonds within our community.”

The donated funds will primarily go towards gas cards for veterans which they can receive at the festival. The gas cards are intended to assist in covering the cost of driving to the event. The overall cost of Vet Fest differs by the year, but the more funds raised to put on the event will result in more programs and resources offered to veterans.

“The more donations that we get, the more we can do, the more we can offer,” Director of the Houghton County Veterans Service Office Joseph Battisfore said. “So we had a significant increase last year. We had dental exams being done. We had screenings for kidney problems. This year is going to be even more. So the more we can stretch our dollars, the more we do.”

The 2025 Vet Fest saw over 840 veterans attend with over 80 resource providers offering services. Battisfore shared at the previous Vet Fest there were veterans who were able to enroll in VA healthcare and seek out mental health assistance. He explained with price increases across the board, any bit of donations helps to stretch the dollars as far as they can.

In June the SDC was packed with veterans who were learning about the potential services the providers offered, but the festival also serves as a place for those with similar military experiences can meet one another or reunite with familiar faces. Battisfore shared many veterans are looking forward to returning to Vet Fest for this reason.

The board wishes to expand the festival and welcomes community partners to participate in next year’s festival. Those interested in assisting the festival can call the Houghton County Veteran Service Office at 906-482-0102 or email at VSO2@hougttoncounty.gov.