(11/11/2024) Today, Senator John C. Velis delivered letters from local students in the Hampden and Hampshire District to residents at the Veterans’ Home in Holyoke in honor of Veterans Day. This marks the fifth consecutive year that Velis has organized this initiative with over 20 different schools from Westfield, Agawam, West Springfield, and other communities participating.
“What began as an effort to find a way for our community to safely share our appreciation with Veterans at the Home during the COVID-19 pandemic, when visitation at the Home was extremely limited, has now become an annual tradition that the Home’s residents, and local teachers and students throughout our community, look forward to each year,” shared Senator John C. Velis, who is a Veteran himself. “One of my favorite things about this project, apart from the smiles that it brings to the residents, is the opportunity that it provides for our local students to learn and reflect on the sacrifices that these men and women have each made to protect our nation and the freedoms we hold dear.”
Velis shared that student of all ages, from pre-school all through high school, helped create over 1,000 letters, cards, and even a large American flag sign for the residents of the Home this year. Additional letters from students will be shared by Senator Velis with the American Red Cross to be included in care packages sent to troops overseas.
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