American Veterans Service Organization hosts Father’s Day prime rib dinner in Yuma

A Father’s Day prime rib dinner in Yuma gave families a weekend meal with a purpose: every ticket helped support the American Veterans Service Organization’s programs for local veterans and their families. The Foothills post turned one of its biggest fundraisers into a meal centered on fathers, just as the community marked Father’s Day weekend.

The dinner was set for June 21 at the organization’s home at 8889 S. Frontage Road in Yuma’s Foothills area. June Condon said guests could expect prime rib, baked potato, vegetable, roll and a special dessert for fathers. Organizers also urged residents to buy tickets before they sold out, a sign the event was expected to draw strong turnout.

The fundraiser carried added weight because the post has spent the past year rebuilding after a March 2025 fire destroyed its building. KYMA reported the blaze wiped out the kitchen, bar, dining area and veterans dance floor, along with printers, copy machines, pens, pencils and other supplies. Even with that damage, the organization kept holding weekly Tuesday meetings for veterans, helping with paperwork, including claims and medical work.

That ongoing work has reached far beyond one post. In the last 15 years, the American Veterans Service Organization said it has helped about 55,000 veterans and their families. The group, formerly known as AMVETS, has remained a steady presence in the Foothills, where military connections run deep.

Those ties matter in a county of 224,449 estimated residents and 14,510 veterans. Yuma County is also home to Marine Corps Air Station Yuma and U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground, and Visit Yuma says the military is the second-largest contributor to the local economy after agriculture. For families looking for a way to mark Father’s Day while backing a local service network, the prime rib dinner connected a single meal to a much larger mission.