MONTE VISTA— Iraqi veteran Bobby Mathis will be the keynote speaker at the annual Homelake Historic Preservation and Restoration meeting, dinner and fundraiser on March 27 at Dos Rios Restaurant.
Mathis will speak on “Thoughts and Experiences of My Army Service.”
Mathis, who attained the rank of staff sergeant, served two tours in Iraq—from 2005 to 2006 and 2007 to 2009--in the United States Army as a combat engineer. He also served in Kuwait, Germany and stateside at Fort Carson, Fort Hood, and Fort Leonard Wood.
Mathis, who grew up in Cochran, Ga. about 2 1/2 hours south of Atlanta, holds a bachelor’s degree in Forest Resources and a master’s in Global Environmental Planning and Management. He works for the U.S. Forest Service here in the San Luis Valley.
Married, Mathis has two adult sons and one granddaughter. He is involved in the American Legion, the VFW, the DAV and Mountain Valley Schools and is sacristan in his church.
The March 27 event is the annual fundraiser and membership drive for the Foundation that preserves and restores the historic campus of Homelake, the oldest veterans’ center in Colorado and the official repository of all unclaimed military medals in the state.
Social hour begins at 5:30 p.m. Dinner will be at 6 p.m. and the meeting will follow. Mathis will be a speaker prior to the meeting.  In addition, there will be a silent auction of a few items.
Cost of the dinner/membership specials is $35 per person or $60 per couple.  If one would like to attend the dinner and meeting only, the cost is $25 per person.   
Foundation President Erin Macgillivray Smith said, “If you cannot attend (the meeting and dinner), please join the Foundation.  Membership dues are extremely reasonable and a worthy commitment at $15 a year for an individual membership, $25 a year for a couple, $100 for sustaining members, $500 for a corporate membership, and $1,000 for a life membership.  Your membership will allow you to vote at the annual meeting in March as well as continue to support the foundation and its endeavors.”
Membership can help the Foundation in many ways, Smith said:  “Building our membership shows we have a stable, full membership base when we apply for grants and ask for donations.  In addition, we have more volunteers who will be able to help with publicity, fundraising, cataloging military memorabilia and other items, running the museum, program development, and complete current and future restoration projects.  Finally your contributions and donations assist us in meeting our goals, required matches for grants and preserving the history at Homelake,” Smith said.
Membership forms are available from Christa Davis, 719-852-5118.
Donations are always welcome, Smith added.
The Foundation board is comprised of 15 members. Currently the membership is at 12. The annual meeting will see the election of five members to three-year terms, one to a two-year term and two to a one-year term.