(ABOVE) DANVILLE, Ill. (May 30, 2023) Veterans and VA nursing staff view a concert by the Danville Barbershop Chorus at the Danville VA Medical Center under the Building 98 canopy entrance. The concert was hosted in celebration of VA Illiana Health Care System’s 125th anniversary. (VA photo by Zackary Landers/Released)
DANVILLE, Ill. – In celebration of 125 years of service to America’s Veterans, VA Illiana’s Danville Medical Center hosted a concert by the Danville Barbershop Chorus for inpatient Veterans on May 30, 2023.
More than 30 Veterans and VA Illiana nursing staff attended the May 125th Anniversary event, which featured musical selections including “The Star-Spangled Banner,” “Be Our Guest,” and “The Mansions of the Lord.” Veterans from VA Illiana’s Veterans Village attended the event, as well as Veterans participating in the medical center’s residential rehabilitation treatment program. You can access high-definition video from the event by clicking here and downloading the file from MAX.gov.
Dori Camacho Torres, VA Illiana Public Affairs Officer, said the event was a meaningful way to continue VA Illiana’s long history of connecting Veterans to the performing arts.
“Since the earliest days of VA Illiana, musical performances have been an important part of life on the grounds of the Danville VA Medical Center, with visiting and resident musicians sharing their talent here,” said Camacho Torres. “We are grateful to the Danville Barbershop Chorus for joining us as we preserve the legacy of our past while caring for the Veterans of today.”
The concert was also historically notable due to its location, being the first musical performance to take place under Building 98’s canopy entrance. The canopy entrance, officially opened to Veteran traffic in December 2022, both improves access to care and provides a sheltered multiuse space for Veteran activities. The canopy now joins the historic VA Illiana bandstand as an on-campus music venue, furthering the medical center’s legacy of hosting outdoor musical performances for Veterans.
About VA Illiana Health Care System
VA Illiana Health Care System provides services at 6 locations serving a 34-county area of central Illinois and west-central Indiana. Locations include the Danville VA Medical Center and 5 community-based outpatient clinics in Bloomington, Decatur, Mattoon, Peoria, and Springfield, Illinois. The VA Illiana Healthcare System is one of the leading health care systems serving Veterans in the VA Great Lakes Network. We’re an innovative care center within the Veterans Integrated Service Network 12 (VISN 12). VISN 12 includes medical centers and clinics in Wisconsin, Illinois, northwestern Indiana, and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
