Feb. 15, 2010

CCHS students pitch in to help injured veterans

By Kurt Duryea

CENTRE — Tonight you will arrive home safely. Most likely you will eat a decent meal and maybe even a late-night snack before slipping comfortably into a warm bed. Safe. Secure. When you awake in the morning, your rights as an American will still be intact. As you enjoy your morning cup of coffee, take a moment and let that thought marinate in your mind.

Under the comforting folds of the American flag you are able to walk freely about town, choosing where you want to go and who you want to talk with. During the week as you travel to the market you are not on alert for the possibility of a terroristic attack. On Saturday or Sunday, you can go to the worship center of your choice.

Here in the United States, we do not come remotely close to the terror witnessed daily in other parts of the globe. In reality, just the thought of being restricted in our movement is nearly incomprehensible to Americans because we have the means to move freely around our country.

Many of us have traveled along East Main Street in Centre as children are arriving or departing from Centre Elementary School. Each day, officers of the Centre Police Department stop traffic so that children can cross from parking lot to the school. Safe. Secure. The children cross without fear and are oblivious to the potential danger that exists every day. Too often, we dismiss this act of service and take for granted the shield of protection offered by those who selflessly serve the public.

In our Armed Services, servicemen and servicewomen stand in harm's way all day every day to preserve and protect the freedom we so often take for granted.
 
But freedom is never free even though the price is never marked down. But freedom demands that the price be paid up front; too often, the price is extracted in human lives.

I am in debt to all who have served, are serving and will step forward to serve our nation.

Reflecting on that thought, I can think of no thank you sincere enough, no sum of money large enough, nor any gift appropriate enough to show my heartfelt and sincere appreciation to those who have served, are serving and will serve our beloved country.

Enter the Cherokee County High School LEO Club.

After seeing a video at www.homesfortroops.org, co-faculty advisor Tammy Rivenbark's heart was touched. In particular was the video of SSG Scot Noss of Trussville.

According to the Homes for Troops web site Army SSG Scot Noss “was injured on Feb. 18, 2007 when the Chinook helicopter he was riding in crashed in the mountains of Southern Afghanistan.” Eight of the 22 service members did not survive the crash. Scot was the most severely injured, suffering from traumatic brain injury. After being stabilized in Germany, Scot was transferred to Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland and later to the James A. Haley Medical Center in Tampa, Fla., where he remains.

Scot once enjoyed sports, including running and football, his favorite sport. He was also an avid reader. Today, Scot's wife RyAnne is looking forward to stability in the couple's future as a specially-adapted home provides Scot with a better quality of life.

Rivenbark presented an idea to a fellow school employee, Rhonda Blanchard, and student Luke Trammell. Both Rivenbark and Blanchard proudly grew up in military families and Trammell, as President of the LEO Club, is responsible for the Veterans Day program at Cherokee County High School.

All three agreed that the Leo Club would begin a campaign that would collect change in support of Homes for Our Troops. LEO Clubs are a youth organization of Lions Clubs International, which in its own existence seeks to serve people in need. Their objective is “to provide the youth of the world with an opportunity for development and contribution, individually and collectively, as responsible members of the local, national and international community.” Homes for Our Troops presented the perfect opportunity.

Homes for Our Troops is a national non-profit, non-partisan organization founded in 2004. They are strongly committed to helping those who have selflessly given to our country and have returned home with serious disabilities and injuries since September 11.

They assist severely injured servicemen and servicewomen and their immediate families by raising donations of money, building materials and professional labor and coordinating the process of building a home that provides maximum freedom of movement and the ability to live more independently. The homes provided by Homes for Our Troops are given at no cost to the veterans they serve.

The result of her first week of fund raising brought tears to Rivenbark's eyes.
“We just used coffee cups and we were not thinking that big,” she said. “Not only was there change but there were dollar bills, and $5 bills and even $10 bills. I just started crying.”

The next week brought a different result.

“There were more coins and less dollars but a higher total than the first week,” she said. “It just exploded. The kids are excited. It's just beautiful.”

The national effort will take millions of dollars to build houses for veterans in need. There are hundreds of soldiers who will be coming home each day with life-altering disabilities and injuries sustained while fighting for our freedom
“I've been extremely proud of our students” Trammell said. “We've really bought into this as a school and it has touched the hearts of a lot of people here.”
Trammell said an announcement is made each day. On Thursday afternoon, LEO Club members go through the school and collect any spare change.

“Our students understand they can make a difference for those men and women who have stood in harm's way protecting us,” Blanchard said.

Trammell said contributions can be accepted at the Cherokee High School office.

Tonight, as your head comes to rest on your pillow take the time to ask yourself, How can I help? Perhaps you may not be able to donate a great sum of money or a great deal of time. But, will you do something for someone who stood guard while we sleep, safe and secure?