“To Our Heroes

Happy Valentine’s Day
Thank you for all you’ve done
In Our Hearts You Are #1
You Gave Up So Much In Sacrifice, You left your families without thinking twice
We have our freedoms for what you’ve done

Happy Valentine’s Day Everyone”

Created by Mrs. Tillinghast’s 2nd Grade Class

(Photo of Sophie and Rich Walters at the Bath VA with the Valentine poem from Mrs. Tillinghast’s class)

• 
  Andrea of El Salvador has been since an inspiration to me.
• 
  Francis LaLomia and the Corning Rotary
• 
  Susan Pirozzolo of the Horseheads Central School District
• 
  One of my 6th grade teachers, Mrs. Rachel Hogue.
• 
  My principals of the Horseheads Intermediate School; Mr. Michael Bostwick and Mrs. Robin Doubrava
• 
  LeAnne DeRosa of WENY TV
• 
  Kristin Klapprodt of the Bath VA and Rich Walters, Volunteer for the Red Cross and Bath VA
• 
  Casimir and Jim Krolak (WW2 and Vietnam Veterans)
• 
  Congressman Tom Reed and Assemblyman Phil Palmesano
• 
  Linda Conway and Colleen Kean of the Red Cross

I have wonderful mentors!

Linda Conway, Colleen Kean, Richard Walters and the entire team of the Corning Red Cross, LeAnne DeRosa of WENY TV, Congressman Tom Reed and Assemblyman Phil Palmesano, Veterans Casimir and Jim Krolak, Mr. Michael Bostwick, Mr. Chris Bell, Susan Pirozzolo, Mr. John Durr, Mrs. Rachel Hogue and everyone at the Horseheads School District have been such wonderful mentors to me. Many thanks to all of them.

This is my very first blog for Dream Big Sophie. First, thank you for checking out my website about kids, volunteerism and our world.  My  good friend and mentor, WWII Veteran Casimir Krolak of the Bethany Nursing Home, asked if he could come to my school, the Horseheads Intermediate School, to talk about his time in Italy and Africa during WWII.  What luck that it was also the 70th Anniversary of V.E Day.  He even brought my class an American Flag for us to keep.