For the fourth year in a row, University of Michigan Health-West is lighting its hospital tower green to honor local veterans and raise awareness about the services available to support them and their families.
The hospital’s tower will be illuminated throughout the week of November 4–11, coinciding with the Kent County Health Department’s Operation Green Light initiative. This annual effort encourages residents and businesses to replace outdoor bulbs with green lights as a show of gratitude to veterans.
UM Health-West is honored to stand with Kent County Veterans Services and the more than 28,000 veterans who call our community home. The health system also shares close ties with the veteran community through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic located on the UM Health-West Village campus, which provides a range of services including primary and specialty care, mental health, women’s health and physical therapy.
Operation Green Light, led nationally by the National Association of Counties and the National Association of County Veteran Service Officers, invites local residents and businesses to switch their outdoor bulbs to green to show support. Kent County Veterans Services (KCVS) is distributing 2,000 free green light bulbs at Kent District Library and Grand Rapids Public Library branches, as well as at the KCVS office on Fuller Avenue NE.
The campaign culminates with Kent County’s annual Veterans Day Parade in downtown Grand Rapids on Tuesday, November 11, at 6 p.m., beginning at Lyon Street NW & Ottawa Avenue NW and ending with a remembrance ceremony at Veterans Memorial Park.
To learn how to participate—or to access veterans’ services such as emergency assistance, disability benefits, or burial support—visit kentcountymi.gov/veterans.