Carlucci’s Column: Valentines For Vets

BY SENATOR DAVID CARLUCCI

February 14th marks Valentine’s Day, and one group who deserves our thanks and compassion are veterans. Many of our veterans are living by themselves and making sure they feel remembered and appreciated can sometimes be overlooked. My way of saying thank you is to annually host a Valentines For Vets initiative and ceremony.

The initiative involves schools across the county, writing and drawing meaningful Valentine’s Day cards for our deserving veterans. Last year, my office collected more than 2,000 cards from about 26 participating schools, and then handed them out to our area veterans. The initiative is a great way to educate our students about the sacrifices made by veterans, while at the same time honoring them for their service.

This year we have several schools, along with the Nyack Ridge Rehabilitation & Nursing Center in Valley Cottage participating in Valentines For Vets. The efforts of our students and seniors to make our veterans feel special is heartwarming to see, and the cards are sure to leave a smile on a veteran’s face. My office will be passing the cards out at the Veterans Home at Montrose and at a ceremony for veterans at William O. Schaefer Elementary School in Tappan. The ceremony will feature the Pledge of Allegiance, patriotic music and Valentine’s Day songs, and a special handout by students of the Valentine’s Day cards.

We know many of our veterans were not honored or recognized when they came home, and this Valentine’s Day we will not let that be the case. The Valentines For Vets ceremony will be held on Thursday, February 14th at 9:45 a.m. at the William O. Schaefer Elementary School, which is located at 140 Lester Dr. in Tappan, New York. If you are a veteran who would like to attend, please RSVP to my office at: (845) 623-3627.

  carlucci, valentines, vets