Veteran's Day will be honored locally with the following events:

• The Third Annual Agent Orange Balloon Release will be held at 12:15 p.m., today, Nov. 11, outside of Ela Town Hall, 1155 E Il Route 22. Sunshine Roth, president of Silver Star Families of America, will be launch 10 orange balloons in memory of veterans who have lost their lives due to exposure to agent orange. The event is open to the community to attend.

• In recognition of Veteran's Day, the Ela Area Public Library has teamed up with the non-profit organization Silver Star Families of America for a letter writing campaign for our troops. Letters and cards should be dropped off at the Library from November 11-18. Collection boxes will be placed at the Information Desk. Please address your message to "Dear Wounded Warrior" or "Dear American Hero." No envelope or stamp is required. For more information please call (847) 438-3433 or email infodesk@eapl.org.

• In recognition of Veterans Day, Patch is honored to announce its partnership with the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, a five-star charity that provides financial, rehabilitation and transitional services to members of the United States Armed Forces and their families.

  Established in 2000, the fund originally provided financial support to the dependents of service members who lost their lives while serving the nation. Since then, the fund has expanded its support of veterans by building state of the art centers for rehabilitating wounded warriors and service members suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries.

  Service members and families touched by the Intrepid's efforts reside in our community, and we hope you will consider making a small donation to honor those that have sacrificed so much.

  Please visit www.fallenheroesfund.org and join us in honoring our veterans today.