Community Corner

In Photos: Yellow Ribbon Ceremony

Eagan and other local cities were officially inducted into the Beyond the Yellow Ribbon program during a ceremony Tuesday.

A bevy of local and state officials, including Gov. Mark Dayton, gathered Tuesday afternoon at to induct 11 area cities and the college itself into the national Beyond the Yellow Ribbon program.

During the short ceremony, Dayton spoke on behalf of the program, which connects community leaders and organizations in order to provide support to military veterans and their families. Eagan was one of the 11 cities honored in the ceremony. Other cities included Rosemount, Inver Grove Heights and Cottage Grove.

"The outward showing of support by these communities eases the burden for military families, eases the transition from warrior to citizen and builds a strong and more compassionate community," Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Director of Military Outreach Annette Kuyper wrote in a press release.

Find out what's happening in Eaganwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

In his speech, Dayton noted the sacrifices that military families make and praised the Minnesota National Guard for its efforts to develop the Beyond the Yellow Ribbon initiative.

"It’s so important that we provide that kind of support, especially for returning guardsmen and women," Dayton said.

Find out what's happening in Eaganwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Inver Grove Heights' Yellow Ribbon group has provided donations and volunteers for the "Toys for Troops" program, records school events so that active service members can still watch their children's events and has supported the family of fallen soldier Joseph Kennedy, an Inver Grove Heights native killed in Afghanistan earlier this year.

Inver Hills is one of several schools in Minnesota to be inducted into the Yellow Ribbon initiative. As many as 1,000 students at the school are veterans, College President Tim Wynes said after the ceremony.

The college provides a number of resources to those students, including a "Veterans' Lounge" where former service members can network and find support.

"We see them coming back to school; they're nervous, not sure if they're doing the right thing," said Inver Hills Community College Veterans Coordinator Sue Flannigan. "We just want to be able to give a little back for what they've done for us. It's about bringing them all the way home."


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here