(HOLYOKE 11/11/2021) Today Senator John C. Velis delivered letters from students throughout the Second Hampden and Hampshire District to residents at the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home in honor of Veterans Day. This is the second year that Senator Velis has organized the initiative, which has 13 different schools from Westfield, Holyoke, Agawam, Southampton, and other communities participating.
“I am thrilled to be able to continue this tradition which I know means so much to the residents at the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home,” said Senator Velis (D-Westfield). “We have between 1,500 to 2,000 letters from students of all ages, from PRE-K all the way up to high school. This is an excellent, hands-on opportunity for students to learn and reflect about the importance of Veterans Day while bringing our communities together.”
“At the Roberta G. Doering School in Agawam, the approximately 519 students created cards and letters to be delivered to the Holyoke Soldiers Home for Veteran’s Day,” said Kathleen Goyette-Jediny, a 6th Grade Teacher in the Agawam Public Schools system. “We have a long history of honoring Veterans at the Doering School. When we learned we would need to postpone our annual ‘Bring a Vet to School Day’ due to Covid, the students desperately wanted to reach out to our Veterans and honor them locally. The letters are a way for students to communicate their gratitude directly to Veterans.”
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