News from Lindsey Wilson University
LWU has held event, which is free to all area veterans and spouses, for more than two decades.
by Duane Bonifer
COLUMBIA, KY. (10/17/2025) The Lindsey Wilson University community will honor the region’s military veterans and their spouses on Nov. 11 at the university’s annual Veterans Appreciation Luncheon.
Lindsey Wilson’s 23rd annual Veterans Appreciation Luncheon will be held at 11:30 a.m. CT on Tuesday, Nov. 11, at VFW Post 6097, 500 Green Hills Road, Columbia.
The luncheon is free and open to all area veterans and their spouses.
In addition to the meal, the luncheon will include a short program for veterans and their spouses.
“It goes without saying that we should be thankful to our veterans and their spouses every day of the year, but this luncheon is a small way we can lift up our veterans and thank them for the sacrifices they made for the rest of us,” said Lindsey Wilson Dean of Students Chris Schmidt, who helps oversee the event.
Schmidt said that the Lindsey Wilson students who have been involved with the event over the years “really enjoyed getting to know our region’s veterans and thanking them for their service.”
“And the veterans also enjoy getting to know some of the Lindsey Wilson students,” he said. “They appreciate when our students take the time to not only serve them but to learn their stories as well.”
The luncheon was started in 2003 as part of Lindsey Wilson’s centennial year celebration, and it’s been held every subsequent year — although some creativity was involved to keep it going during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“During COVID, we came up with something different,” said Schmidt. “We made C rations, which are now called MREs, or meals ready to eat, so that we could continue to serve our region’s veterans and their spouses. We made our own version of the MRE by stuffing boxes with coffee pods, snacks, candy and even a challenge coin. We delivered the boxes to the VFW post so they could distribute them safely to their members. It was a huge hit, and the veterans loved them.”
Reservations for the Lindsey Wilson Veterans Appreciation Luncheon are not required. For more information, contact the Lindsey Wilson Office of Student Services at 270-384-8036.
A scene from the 2024 Lindsey Wilson University Veterans Appreciation Luncheon. This year’s luncheon will be held Nov. 11 at VFW Post 6097, 500 Green Hills Road, Columbia.
Lindsey Wilson University is a vibrant liberal arts university in Columbia, Kentucky. Founded in 1903 and affiliated with The United Methodist Church, the mission of Lindsey Wilson is to serve the educational needs of students by providing a living-learning environment within an atmosphere of active caring and Christian concern where every student, every day, learns and grows and feels like a real human being. Lindsey Wilson offers 28 undergraduate majors, five graduate programs and a doctoral program. The university’s 29 intercollegiate varsity athletic teams have won more than 120 team and individual national championships.
(Duane Bonifer – Lindsey Wilson University)