An event honoring Vietnam veterans will be held on Saturday, June 25, in the stadium at Garden Spot High School, 669 E. Main St., New Holland. The event will be a surprise celebration for veterans returning from a trip back to Vietnam, as well as for all Lancaster County's Vietnam veterans.

The trip began on June 9 and is led by Lei Williams, who is a Garden Spot High School teacher, an associate member of the Vietnam Veterans of America chapter in Lancaster and a Vietnam refugee. Fourteen Vietnam veterans are participating.

Williams initially planned the excursion for her Garden Spot students, after leading a previous student trip to Vietnam. The students suggested that Williams instead offer the trip to Vietnam veterans, and after a delay due to the pandemic, Williams was able to do so. Several county veterans' organizations and many individuals helped defray some of the cost by donating money, some of which was raised through cookie sales.

The event on June 25 will begin at 4 p.m., when food trucks and other refreshments will be on hand at the stadium. The Welcome Home Celebration will begin at 5 p.m. The traveling veterans will be escorted to the stadium by a veterans motorcycle group. There will be remarks from special guests and, weather permitting, a Huey helicopter landing.

This event is open to the public. In the case of rain, the event will be held in the Garden Spot High School gym, located next to the stadium.

For more information, call Mike Kunitsky at 717-475-0498 or Colleen Hecker at heckercolleen@yahoo.com.