Veterans showcase talents at Sunshine Cafe in Foothills

The show gave veterans a chance to show off their talents while also giving them a safe place to celebrate Veterans Day - 13 On Your Side's Luis Lopez reports

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - While there are without a doubt plenty of things to do on Veterans Day in Yuma, some locals saw a special show honoring those who served our country. Over at Sunshine Cafe in the Foothills, veterans and their supporters came together for a talent show.

Their gathering celebrated the holiday while embracing the creativity of those who served. Performances varied from things like poetry, dance routines and plenty of music.

This year marked the first time the show was held. The Supporting Troops After Returning Home Foundation (S.T.A.R.H.) created it as a way to provide resources to veterans, along with giving them a positive environment for the day.

As event director Dana Mann-Chipkin says, it can be important for veterans to have a safe place to be.

“To give them an alternative to the 22 suicides that we see from military veterans every day, we wanted to do our best to give them resources so that they find there are other alternatives,” Mann-Chipkin shared.

For those who performed, like veteran Timothy Segrest, he was happy to have a platform to speak his mind.

“It gave me a voice to really get out there and touch people that may not have heard of me or about my work."

With this year marking the inaugural talent show, Mann-Chipkin says they plan on bringing it back next year and hope that it grows every year it's held.