Florida Veterans for Common Sense to host Thomas Paine Celebration

Florida Veterans for Common Sense hosts the Thomas Paine Celebration 6 p.m. Saturday at Renaissance on 9th, 1816 Ninth St. W., Bradenton. The 2016 Thomas Paine award will be made to national advocate Nancy Parrish for her leadership on military sexual trauma policy change.

This year’s commemoration celebrates the 280th anniversary of the birth of Revolutionary War patriot Thomas Paine.

“With our nation more deeply divided than in recent memory, there’s a renewed interest in our Founders’ democratic principles,” said Gene Jones, a Vietnam era veteran, retired attorney, and president of the southwest Florida veterans group hosting the event.

The hosting group is named for Paine’s most famous work, “Common Sense,” which provided the philosophy underpinning the founding of the United States.

Tickets are $60, and are available on the group’s website, www.floridaveteransforcommonsense.org. Proceeds go to help FLVCS’s local veteran projects, including a veteran farming therapy program and direct assistance programs for homeless and hospitalized veterans.

This story was originally published January 25, 2017 at 5:18 PM with the headline "Florida Veterans for Common Sense to host Thomas Paine Celebration."