Elvis will be back in the building Saturday, March 2, when the second annual “A Night to Remember” benefit for homeless veterans takes place at the Isle of Capri Event Center.

The fundraiser for the building fund of City of Refuge Veterans Homeless Shelter in Vinton will be 5-10 p.m. The theme is “Some Starry Night.”

Elvis in duplicate will be on-stage again by popular demand, said Denise Perkins-Stigen, chairman of the event. Dennis Soileau and Joel Renfrow, who entertained at the first gala last year, will be back.

Additionally, a young Elvis tribute artist, Jared Bates, will make his debut for “A Night to Remember.” The 8-year-old won the best overall prize at the T.S. Cooley Magnet Elementary School talent contest.

“We saw him, and he’s fantastic,” Perkins-Stigen said. He will also present his impression of Jerry Lee Lewis.

Guest speakers will be Susan Hafner of One Touch Ministries, whose father was in the landing at Normandy; Lynda Greene from the Veterans Affairs Housing Office in Houston; and Col. Harry Montgomery. The program also includes a “meet-and-greet” with hors d’oeuvres, dinner, door prizes, $1,000 reverse drawing, raffles and silent and live auctions, she said.

For 26 years the shelter, operated by Ir-Miklato Ministries, has provided housing and three meals a day for veterans who find themselves without homes, Perkins-Stigen said. The average occupancy is about 19, but since most residents are transient, there could be more or less at any one time. There were 28 when she spoke to the American Press Monday.

“We take in whoever comes, because if we don’t, they will be back on the road and the sheriff’s department will pick them up and bring them here,” she said.

City of Refuge is embarking on Phase 3 of its rebuilding program, which will include a new kitchen and dining hall, according to board member Gary Alford. The current building is about 60 years old and is beyond repair. The new one will have a modern commercial kitchen, pantry and dining area, which will be large enough to hold functions on-site and allow all residents to eat at one time.

Funds will also be used to pay for property to expand the campus. you go

“A Night to Remember – Some Starry Night, to benefit City of Refuge Veterans Homeless Shelter in Vinton, will be presented 5 to 10 p.m. Saturday, March 2, at the Isle of Capri Event Center in Westlake.

Admission is $50 per person. Most tickets have been sold, but additional reservations will be taken at (337) 532-4271.

The program includes hors d’oeuvres, dinner, auctions, raffles and entertainment by three Elvis impersonators. Attire is formal/semiformal, dressy dress.

Joel Renfrow