Kentucky Veterans of the Year
The Kentucky Veterans of the Year program is an initiative of the Epilepsy Foundation of Kentuckiana's signature veterans program: Operation Outreach.
The Epilepsy Foundation of Kentuckiana, in partnership with various community leaders, understood that veterans continue to make great contributions throughout their communities and wanted to ensure those veterans who "continue to serve" have the opportunity to be recognized and celebrated. The concept of the annual Kentucky Veterans of the Year program was born in 2014 and has been a dedicated event during the Mayor's "Week of Valor".
On November 10, 2014, one female and one male were awarded as Kentucky's first Veteran of the Year. The 2014 Kentucky Veterans of the Year banquet served as the kick-off event for Louisville's Week of Valor and was attended by nearly 200 people from across Kentucky, including Kentucky Governor Beshear's representative, Senator Rand Paul's representative, Congressman John Yarmuth, Louisville Mayor Fischer, and three Medal of Honor recipients, among the many others.
2024 Kentucky Veteran's of the Year
Anna Marie Janning
Bardstown, KY (Navy)
Roy Goldstein
Richmond, KY (Air Force)
2024 KYVOTY Awards Dinner Photo Collage
(click on images to enlarge them)
(if you would like a high resolution version of one of the photos from the dinner, please contact dbow@efky.org)
Veterans are special and unique. They represent a very small percentage of our countries population that have made the decision to sacrifice their life in defense of this great country, if required. Sacrifice and struggle are no stranger to these men and women. The Commonwealth of Kentucky is home to more than 330,000 American heroes. Because we believe our veterans deserve our support and recognition, the mission of the Kentucky Veterans of the Year is to annually honor one male and one female Kentucky veteran for their heroic efforts defending our country and their continued willingness to serve their neighbors and preserve our Commonwealth’s way of life.
For more information about Veterans and seizures, epilepsy, and post-traumatic brain injuries, visit the Operation Outreach page.
2024 Kentucky Veteran of the Year Nomination Period is Now Closed - any nominations made will be for 2025!
Criteria
1. Honorably discharged veteran of the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard, National Guard, Reserves, or Air Guard.
2. Currently living
3. Not currently serving in any branch or component of the military
4. Nominee must be a current Kentucky resident
5. Must be of good moral character
6. Nominations must be no more than 250-500 words with an emphasis on service to the community and not their military service.
7. Nominations will be judged on service to others after discharge from military service.
For additional nomination rules, please click here.
Sponsorship Opportunities
Are you looking for an opportunity to demonstrate your care and support of our Kentucky Veterans through sponsorships and advertising? If so, the Epilepsy Foundation of Kentuckiana can help! Our signature veterans program, Operation Outreach is committed to not only improving the quality of life of veterans and their families but also recognizing veterans for the sacrifices they have made for all of us.
The Epilepsy Foundation of Kentuckiana is looking to partner with local businesses and organizations for future Kentucky Veterans of the Year Awards Dinner. If you would like to become a sponsor for this awesome event, recognizing veterans for their continued service to their communities, if you would like a sponsorship form, send a request to dbow@efky.org then you can email back to him or mail to our local office at: Kosair Charities Centre • 982 Eastern Parkway • Louisville, KY 40217. Thank you for your interest!
2024 KYVOTY Sponsors
Thank you to the following:
