All area veterans and their families are invited to attend a lunch in their honor for Veterans Day.

Lunch and the program will be held at the Lincoln Civic Center Nov. 11.

The Georgia Pacific catfish cooking team is in charge of the meal, which will be served beginning at 11:30 a.m.

Because Veterans Day falls on a Saturday this year, organizers opted for lunch instead of a night program like the one held in 2016.

“Invitations were sent out last week to area veterans who have been to the event in years past, but all veterans are invited,” said Sen. Sally Doty, R-Brookhaven, who is one of the organizers.

The program begins at 12:30 p.m. and the public is invited to attend at that time.

More than 400 people attended the event last year, she said.

The program Saturday will include a special recognition for veterans who have received the Purple Heart Medal for wounds suffered in combat, she said.

“Each year, we try to give special recognition to a select group of veterans,” she said. “We wanted to recognize Purple Heart recipients who, like all veterans, displayed exceptional courage, but were wounded in battle.”

Doty said the Veterans Day program is organized and funded by those in the community whose lives have been touched by veterans and want to give back to them to show their gratitude.

“It’s important to thank them for their service,” she said.

Doty said walk-ins are welcome, but veterans who would like to receive a formal invitation may also register their name and address by calling 601-833-1411. Doty has compiled a large list of local veterans over the years just for this event, and the names will not be used for any purpose other than sending invitations for the Veterans Day event, she said.