Suits For Soldiers Lake Of The Ozarks! Lake Area Event Helps Veterans Look Sharp

Suits for Soldiers Lake Of The Ozarks, an annual event that provides military veterans with high-quality suits, is celebrating its third year at Lake of the Ozarks, and co-founders Jeanne Rackers and Paula Nienhueser want to give back to veterans and active military more this year than ever before.

“It’s not just about giving away a suit,” explained Rackers, a mortgage consultant at On Q Financial. “Veterans haven’t always been appreciated. When veterans came back from Vietnam, they got spit on, and Suits for Soldiers Lake Of The Ozarks is a way to celebrate them and thank them for their service. All of our past participants were so incredibly grateful. We were told by one veteran he was planning on using his new suit for his up-coming wedding.”

Suits for Soldiers Lake of the Ozarks got its start when Nienhueser was at a conference and heard a woman speaking about a similar program she had started in her community.

“I was just so impressed with her program, and I thought it was perfect for Lake of the Ozarks,” said Nienhueser, owner of Guardian Insurance Group. “When I came back from the conference, I asked my friend Jeanne if she wanted to help me do this, and that's how it started.”

Suits for Solders Lake Of The Ozarks 2022 is set for Saturday, Oct. 15, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., at the Elks Lodge #2517 in Osage Beach.

Suits For Soldiers Lake Of The Ozarks started small, with 150 free suits provided for soldiers in 2018. The event has grown since then, and so have the services that Suits For Soldiers Lake Of The Ozarks offers.

PHOTOS: Suits For Soldiers Lake Of The Ozarks

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When they walk through the door at the annual Suits for Soldiers Lake Of The Ozarks event, each soldier gets a “battle buddy,” who helps them get measured and choose a suit and shirt. And after the suit sizing, the fun begins! Suits for Soldiers Lake Of The Ozarks has free food, door prizes, raffle items, free haircuts, live music and, of course, the chance to meet and connect with other veterans and active military.

Suits For Soldiers Lake Of The Ozarks has also become a one-stop shop for information and assistance for veterans and active military, thanks to the presence of other organizations like the VFW, DAV, Truman VA Community Employment, Columbia Vet Center, Honor Flight of the Ozarks, Missouri Veterans Commission, Military OneSource, Missouri National Guard Family And Readiness, Warrior Support, HEROES Outreach, Encompassed Purpose, Dreams To Realty, Hope House, and the Red Cross Missouri.

“There are so many different entities that come in, all these organizations provide services for our veterans and our active military, that may not know where to reach out to. We’re able to bring all this into one spot and help them connect and provide resources about their military benefits,” Rackers said.

With more services and more people, the 2022 Suits for Soldiers Lake Of The Ozarks event on Oct. 15th is expected to be the biggest year yet!

“Attendance has doubled or tripled each year and we’re expecting between 750 and 1,000 people this year. So, as you could imagine, it really takes a village to make this work. We have over 100 volunteers so far but we’re always looking for more!” Rackers said.

At the end of the day, for Jeanne Rackers, Paula Nienhueser, and everyone at Suits For Soldiers Lake Of The Ozarks, it’s about doing what they can for veterans and active military, who have done so much for this country. The story that sticks in Jeanne’s mind is from their last event in 2019.

“We had four gentlemen come over from Fort Riley, Kansas. They made the trip over very early and they were there when we unlocked the doors that morning for the event: they wanted to know this was for real. They literally didn't think it was true that they were going to receive an actual suit,” Rackers remembered. “I said, ‘We don't open until 9:00, but when we do, you guys will be the first four that we will let in the door.’ And they were, and they really did walk away with their suits.”

If you’re a veteran or know a veteran who would like to participate in this year’s Suits for Soldiers, go to https://suitsforsoldierslakeoftheozarks.com/ and register, you will need to provide your DD 214 or military ID at the door.

Passionate about helping veterans? Go to https://suitsforsoldierslakeoftheozarks.com/ to sign up to volunteer.

Suits For Soldiers Lake Of The Ozarks would like to thank their sponsors: VFW, Eldon Golf Club, DAV, Elk’s Lodge #2517, Jordan Salisbury Team, Big Thunder Marine, Honest Abe’s Home Service, The Butcher Shop, Scott’s Concrete, Summit Utilities, Ameren Missouri, Kelly Lyerla BHHS Lake Ozark Realty, Snelling Masonry, Allee-Holman-Howe, SOS Barge and Dock, Sunset Tires and Service, Oakstar Bank, The Encore Lakeside Grill & Sky Bar, Showcase Publishing LLC, Beckett Motors, Porter Law, LLC, Lake Patio & Spas, Carstar Auto Body Repair Experts, Co-Mo Connect, Fitzgerald Screen Enclosures & Custom Handrails, The Grein Team, VFW Post 5923 and Walmart Supercenter Camdenton. A special Thank You to Woods Supermarket, Butts Barber Shop, Struggling Blues Band, Damsel Dry Cleaning along with all the donations from local businesses.