Hart County veterans host first-ever community picnic to give back and build connections
HART COUNTY, Ky. (WNKY) – A new Fourth of July tradition took root this weekend in Hart County, as local veterans swapped uniforms for aprons and opened their arms to the community for an evening of food, fellowship and purpose.
The Hart County Veterans Committee hosted its first-ever Community Picnic on Saturday, offering free hot dogs, hamburgers, chips and drinks to anyone who stopped by. Held at the committee’s grounds off South Dixie Highway, the event welcomed families with lawn chairs and children in tow, creating what organizers hope becomes an annual celebration of service and unity.
Doug Ready, a committee member and the man behind the idea, said he came up with the plan as a simple way to bring people together.
“It’s Independence Day, and I wanted us to be a part of some sort of community celebration,” Ready said. “We’re a veterans organization, and we owe a lot to this community. So it was a way for us to give back a little bit.”
The idea gained quick support from fellow members, and even after Ready suffered a heart attack earlier this year, the team pressed forward with the plans. “Being ill didn’t slow them down a bit,” he said. “They went right along. They made their plans. It’s them that pulled this off.”
But for many involved, the event was about more than just food, it was about forming new bonds and reintroducing the committee to the people they serve. Ready said the hope is that the event will not only return next year but grow even larger. “If this goes on a yearly basis, which I hope it will, then I would like to see it grow exponentially,” he said.
That sense of growth is already starting. During Saturday’s event, three new members joined the veterans committee, an early sign that the picnic’s impact may extend well beyond the grill.
Veterans say the event was a reminder that while their service may be behind them, their mission to support and connect with their community is still very much alive.
