For the past two decades, Ashland Elks Lodge 1360 and Ashland Emblem Club 61 have been paying tribute to area veterans by inviting them to dinner.

The same held true Monday night at the Ashland Elks Lodge at 402 Center Street. A hot meal of swiss steak, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, rolls and an assortment of cakes and pies were consumed by those attending.

Ashland Emblem Club Americanism Chair Jill Smurthwaite said since 1989 when the veterans dinner began, the event was only canceled once due to heavy snow. But Elks and Emblem members bundled up the food and delivered it  the next day to the Greenwich Veterans Home so they could still enjoy a catered meal as a way of saying thanks for serving our country.