[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 128 (Tuesday, July 25, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E718]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      HONORING THE VASILOFF FAMILY FOR THEIR DEVOTION TO VETERANS

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ELISSA SLOTKIN

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 25, 2023

  Ms. SLOTKIN. Mr. Speaker, today I honor a Livingston County, 
Michigan, family that has quietly, and without fanfare, devoted 
themselves over the past decade to the service of their community, 
their Nation, and veterans in need.
  Kathy and Steve Vasiloff of Green Oak Township have long enjoyed 
throwing parties in their lakeside home, making their backyard a 
popular gathering place for friends, family, and neighbors. But when 
their son David joined the United States Marine Corps in 2007, those 
parties took on a different tone: sending him off and welcoming him 
home from training, and then from multiple deployments to Iraq and 
Afghanistan.
  Hit twice by improvised explosive devices during his tours of duty, 
David came home in 2011 a changed man, and as a result, his family 
changed direction as well. Seeking to honor their son's service, and 
the stories he told of his brothers and sisters in arms, many of whom 
did not come home, the Vasiloff family decided to combine their love of 
throwing parties with a purpose. Ten years ago they opened up their 
home for a summer soiree, this time asking for donations for wounded 
veterans, and raised an impressive $3,000 in one evening. The next 
summer, the party grew, and so did the funds raised. And so a tradition 
was born, one that has blossomed into an annual extravaganza featuring 
live music, raffles, gift baskets, hundreds of attendees, and tens of 
thousands of dollars in donations for the Fallen and Wounded Soldiers 
Fund, a Michigan non-profit supporting injured servicemen and the 
families of heroes in our state. In fact, over the decade the Vasiloff 
family has been holding these fundraisers, they've become the largest 
private donors to the organization, with total donations closing in on 
$200,000.
  Planning and holding a fundraiser of this magnitude is a huge team 
effort, and a major undertaking for the Vasiloffs. As such, the 
Vasiloff family has decided that 2023 will be their final event. But it 
certainly won't be the end of their service. David, the proud Marine 
who helped inspire the fundraisers, continues to inspire, serve, and 
protect his hometown community of Green Oak Township, where he is now a 
police officer. And Kathy and Steve will never stop supporting the 
brave men and women like their son who come home with visible and 
invisible scars of war, as well as the service families whose lives are 
forever shattered by loss.
  Service to one's country takes many forms, and that includes 
contributing to our collective goal of moving toward a more perfect 
union. Mr. Speaker, the Vasiloff family has never sought praise or 
publicity for their efforts, instead directing all attention to the 
cause so close to their hearts. But as they prepare for their tenth and 
final summer event, I thank them for their faithful service.

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