Location Change for Avon Veterans Day Ceremony

Members of Avon’s Gildo T. Consolini VFW Post 3272 are participating in several events during the week of Veterans Day from the senior center to area schools and on the Avon Town Green. Veterans from WWII, Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War and current Iraq War will be present. Most all of the events are open to the public to attend.

On Veterans Day, Wednesday, November 11, Post members will visit all four Avon public schools to participate in schoolwide “Town Meetings” where they will be talk with students about their service. In turn, the students will present the military veterans with songs, poems and offers of thanks and gratitude. The schedule for their visits on November 11 are:

· 7:15am – 8:30am – Avon Middle School – breakfast with select students and faculty prior to whole school Town Meeting at 7:50am

· 8:45am – 9:30am – Thompson Brook School

· 9:45am – 10:30am – Pine Grove School

· 11:00am – 2:00pm – Avon High School – Veterans Day ceremony, then lunch with select students and faculty prior to whole school Town Meeting in the Gym.

· 2:15pm – 3:00pm – Roaring Brook School

LOCATION CHANGE: In keeping with the national tradition of holding ceremonies at 11:00 a.m. on November 11, the veterans will then travel to the gymnasium at Avon High School for the annual Veterans Day Ceremony honoring soldiers of Avon from all wars. Students from Roaring Brook School will be present to sing songs, along with family members and the public, for this memorial event. Local residents are enthusiastically encouraged to attend. It will conclude at noon.

On Thursday, November 12, the Avon VFW Post members will visit Canton High School to be recognized and honored for their service to America where they will meet with the Journalism and National Honor Society students at 8:00am. They will then participate in a full-school assembly at 8:50am which will have an informal focus recognizing all conflicts. After the assembly, the veterans will be escorted to individual classrooms to share their stories of service to our nation. The entire program will conclude at 10:20am.

On Monday, November 16, the Post’s veterans will then attend the annual Avon and Canton Senior Centers joint luncheon event to honor and celebrate local veterans. It is being held from 11:30am – 1:30pm at the Avon Senior Center, 635 West Avon Road. They will visit with residents of both towns while enjoying a light lunch and music.

“Veterans Day is a special day for all of us who served. But most importantly, it is a good time to talk with young people about the patriotism and citizenship that we all enjoy thanks to the service of our military. Visiting the schools brings democracy to action and we thank them for remaining open on Veterans Day so we can bring this strong message to them all,” said Lee Wilson, Commander, Avon VFW Post 3272.

Veterans Day, formerly known as Armistice Day, was founded in honor of the signing of the agreement to end the fighting along the western front during WWI. The signing of the agreement occurred in Paris on November 11, 1918 at 11:00a.m. Traditionally Veterans Day is a time to thank current veterans and remember those who have gone before as patriots for our freedom.

For more information on the Avon Gildo T. Consolini VFW Post 3272, visit:www.avonvfw.com.