by Pamela A. Moore,
Harvey C. Noone Post #954 Family
A Valentine’s Day Challenge was thrown down in January by Churchville’s Harvey C. Noone Legion via an article published in Westside News, and also posted on its Facebook page and website. The challenge: to exceed the 1,236 Valentines that were collected for veterans at the Batavia VA during the 2021 Valentines for Veterans Project.
The response to the challenge was decisive. A total of 2,060 Valentines were delivered to the Batavia VA for hospitalized veterans, and also for veterans in the male and female In Residence PTSD programs. Batavia’s PTSD program for female vets is one of only a few in the entire U.S. Valentines continued to arrive after the deadline and those will be delivered to the veterans living in Westwood Commons in North Chili.
One young artist, Renzyn Litolff, made a Valentine depicting the moon and an American flag. Her Valentine encapsulates this challenge, its results, and the love and gratitude contained in each card. It also captured the spirit of the people of this nation who, since its founding, have always joined together to meet challenges, big and small. The challenge here was to demonstrate that we remember and honor our veterans by increasing participation. We succeeded. There was a 42% increase and Valentines arrived from Monroe, Livingston, and Genesee Counties, thus proving, “We love our veterans to the moon and back.”
Along with the Valentines, a $200 check from the Legion Auxiliary’s Poppy Fund was presented to Cindy Baker of the Center for Development and Civic Engagement at the Batavia VA. On behalf of all the veterans, Cindy extended heartfelt thanks to each and every individual, organization, and group of family and friends who took the time to participate in this challenge and, in so doing, ensured Valentine’s Day 2022 would be especially “sweet” for our veterans.
Anna Battista. Photo by Lisa Battista
Valentines for Veterans Challenge spreads more love
With widespread community participation, 2,517 Valentines for Veterans were collected. Thus, not only meeting the challenge by exceeding the 1,236 collected in 2021, the number collected more than doubled the 2021 results.
Originally, all Valentines were to be delivered to the Batavia VA. But Valentines continued to arrive after the deadline. These additional Valentines were delivered on February 14 to veterans living at Westwood Commons in North Chili and Eagle Star Veterans Home in Spencerport. Each veteran living at Eagle Star was also given a $25 gift card from the Harvey C. Noone Auxiliary #954’s Poppy Fund to assist them in their efforts to transition from homelessness back into the community.
Thanks to all who participated, it meant the world to those veterans who received your expressions of gratitude and admiration.
Pamela A. Moore, Churchville
Harvey C. Noone Post #954 Legion Family
