Veterans’ Community Day set for Saturday
POTTSTOWN >> Pottstown will be continuing its annual tradition of honoring local veterans with the 4th Annual Pottstown Veterans’ Community Day.
The event will be held on Saturday, Sept. 28, beginning at 11 a.m. on Veterans’ Island at Memorial Park. The events are free and open for the public to attend.
The event was made possible after local businesses and organizations gave Memorial Park a facelift over the weekend.
Palmer Masonry Restoration, BrightView Landscape Services, and the Travis Manion Foundation all volunteered their time and services for the two-day cleanup which included extensive repairs to the crumbling bandstand, mulching and weeding all of the garden beds, and an industrial power washing to remove debris leftover from this summer’s flood.
“It’s a night-and-day difference down here,” said Mike Murphy, member of the Veterans’ Island Project which spearheaded the cleanup. “Things like the walkway around the island and some of the older plaques on the ground haven’t seen the light of
Dennis Elliot
day in years. It’s great to have all that mud finally gone, and the costly stonework repairs on the bandstand have been needed for a long time.”
He added, “it’s just great when these local places donate their time and services to the community like this. We can’t thank them enough for their support.”
The centerpiece of Saturday’s festivities is the presentation of the Glass Tear Hero Award, designed to honor veterans who returned home to become pillars of the local community.
Bill Quinley
This year’s honorees are Dennis Elliot (Navy), Denise Harner (Navy), William Quinley (Army), and Van D. Scott (Army). They will also each receive a township citation by state Rep. Marcy Toepel.
Congresswoman Madeline Dean will also be on hand to present 50 local Vietnam Veterans with the United States of America Vietnam War Commemorative Pin.
Food and drinks will be available to purchase from the Spring City American Legion Post 602. All proceeds will go towards the Veterans’ Island Project, a 501c3 non-profit dedicated to maintaining Veterans’ Island and the organizers of the day’s events.
“It’s been great to see Community Day grow in size and scope over the years,” said Cathy Paretti, co-founder and president of the Veterans’ Island Project. “Thanks in large part to the money raised from previous Community Day’s we’ve been able to replace the lights at the World War II Memorial and refurbish the recently vandalized canon. Now have our sights set on a new security system for the island.”
The 4th annual Pottstown Veterans’ Community Day is sponsored by the American Legion Home Association Post #626; Chester County Marines; Elks Lodge 814 Veterans’ Committee of Pottstown; Reading Motorcycle Club Benevolent Motorcycles; Wolf, Baldwin & Associates; American Legion Riders Post # 626; David F. Bohn; Lawrence Davies; GPA Military Vehicle Historical Society; Kevin Johns in memory of Gabe Fini; Frank Strunk.