Sylvan Donates to Soldiers, Learns from Veterans

Veterans, an active duty soldier and a black Labrador Retriever named Major visited Friday to speak at the Veterans Day assembly.

Richard Egan, a retired NYPD officer and current member of the Knights of Columbus in Massapequa Park, discussed the “Adopt a Battalion” program in which the students had taken part. He thanked students for the contributions they had made to provide the comforts of home to members of the military abroad.

Active duty soldier Rick Lutz told students how heartwarming it is to receive one of the packages, and how much it means to be remembered and honored by them.

“Your teachers will make an impression on you for the rest of your lives, and your thanks and packages will make an impression on the members of the military forever," Lutz said.

Speaker Pat Valley of America’s VetDogs, operated through the Guide Dog Foundation and aimed at assisting veterans in need, spoke to students about the canine program and allowed students to work with Major, offering commands and rewarding the America’s VetDog in training with treats.

Principal Alane Dugan presented a donation check from the teachers of Sylvan Avenue to Ms. Valley in support of the VetDog program, stating, “The power of a thank you from the heart is immeasurable, and there are so many ways to say thank you to a man or woman who has served in order to make America such a terrific place to live.”

Students offered a round of applause for their very own “hero at home,” head custodian John Marcinek, who served in the Navy during the Cuban Missile Crisis.  “I am so fortunate to work in a school that values patriotism. That kind of acknowledgment shows me thanks every day," he said.

Students, donning red, white and blue in demonstration of their patriotic spirit and yellow ribbons in honor of those who have sacrificed their lives for freedom, stood together and sang “Proud to Be an American” to close the program.