"Breakfast for a Hero" Tradition Brings 250 Veterans Together in East Alton
On Veterans Day, Nov. 11, 2025, veterans and their families gathered for a breakfast event by Embark Wealth Partners.
EAST ALTON - Over 250 veterans and their families started Veterans Day with an appreciation breakfast.
On Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025, community members gathered at Julia’s Banquet Center in East Alton for the annual Breakfast for a Hero event by Embark Wealth Partners. The veterans and their loved ones enjoyed breakfast, heard from keynote speaker Retired Colonel William Durall with the U.S. Air Force, and listened to music by The Gibson Girls.
“Words can’t really describe what the feeling is,” said Jim Claywell with Embark Wealth Partners. “When we started this thing eight years ago, we were out at the Sportsman’s Club. We had 40 people. It was our way at our investment firm to give back to the community. As it has grown, we got other businesses in the area to help support it.”
Claywell and his business partner Terri Schneider started the Breakfast for a Hero tradition eight years ago. They were seeking a way to give back to the community, and Schneider conceptualized the breakfast as a way to help local vets.
She said that honoring veterans is “very near and dear to [her] heart,” as many people in her family have served in the U.S. military. Embark Wealth Partners makes it a point to honor the veterans’ family members, too, as they recognize that families also sacrifice during their loved one’s military service. Schneider and Claywell noted that it’s been wonderful to watch the event grow over the years.
“I don't think the veterans really get the recognition that they really deserve and need,” Schneider added. “It’s just one way to give back, and it’s just very fulfilling to see this many people in the room every year.”
Claywell thanked the event’s sponsors, including Roberts Ford, Gent Funeral Home, Miller King Attorney at Law, First Mid Bank, American Family Insurance, Upper Deck Roofing, Landmark Realty Group, North Alton Godfrey Business Council, Big Z Media, The Telegraph and RiverBender.com.
Claywell and Schneider hope to see the event continue to grow. They remind community members to RSVP early for next year, and they look forward to bringing together veterans and their families for another “warm welcome” every Veterans Day.
“Just to see this many people in one room celebrating together things that they can actually talk to other people about, things that they have been through, [it’s great],” Schneider said. “The stories that I’ve heard throughout the years, I would never have heard those stories prior to this. It’s just one of those very warm feelings that words really can’t describe.”
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