(11/11/2025- WWLP) – In honor of Veterans Day, Senator John Velis is distributing over 1,000 letters from students in Hampden and Hampshire Counties to local veterans and deployed troops.
These letters were collected ahead of Veterans Day to be shared with residents of the Holyoke Veterans Home and currently deployed troops. Students of all ages, from pre-school through high school, wrote letters and created artwork to thank veterans for their service.
“It is truly so special to see our community come together year after year to recognize Veterans Day and help educate an entire generation about the service and sacrifice behind this holiday,” Senator Velis said. “This year, we were not only able to deliver thousands of letters and bring joy to the residents of the Veterans Home, what really inspired the start of this annual tradition. But we also received so many that I will also be bringing some of these letters with me to share with my fellow service members during my own deployment in the very near future.”
Last month, Senator Velis announced that he will soon be deployed to the southwestern border of the United States, as he serves as a major in the Massachusetts National Guard.
Over 20 schools participated in this sixth annual tradition, including schools in Agawam, Chicopee, West Springfield, Westfield, and numerous other communities across western Massachusetts.
###