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My name is Ella Whitridge, and I am a 16-year-old student at Greenwich High School. On March 29th , I attended the Vietnam War Veterans Day ceremony with my mom at the American Legion Post 29 in Glenville, an area in Greenwich, CT. The room was filled with Veterans and patriots who humbly told their stories of service. It was inspiring for me to hear from these heroes in person. The space, however, was anything but inspiring: dreary tile flooring, bland cinder block walls, broken kitchen equipment, and problematic bathrooms.
Mr. Peter LeBeau, the Commander of American Legion Post 29, came to talk to me. He said that this American Legion Post where local Veterans have their monthly meetings, hold events like their pancake fundraisers, and host different organization get togethers… “it really needs help. We need a new floor covering due to asbestos tiles, a coat of paint, a functioning kitchen, and working bathrooms.” He humbly asked, “would you want to help us?”
Mr. LeBeau mentioned that the property, owned by the Town of Greenwich and leased to the American Legion has fallen into disrepair. He has tried over several years to get the Town to allocate funds to refurbish this space, but to no avail.
With all the people in the room including elected officials, I was surprised that Mr. LeBeau, a Vietnam Veteran and Commander of this Post, would ask for my help. But as I thought about it, I concluded that I represent the future of America and it is up to me and people my age to protect Our Freedom for our own generation and generations to come.
I would like to answer the call and be a strong voice for the Veterans in our town. I have put together a plan, built my team of fellow students (as pictured), and will be raising funds to renovate the American Legion Post 29. We look forward to getting quick approval from the Town and are excited to get started.
As Memorial Day approaches, we are getting ready to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice and salute those who are with us. It is our turn to say thank you with our own service!
Please visit our website to get on our email list for project and GoFundMe fundraising updates: www.TeensAnswerTheCall.org.
If you would like to donate directly to the American Legion at this time, please feel free to send a check written out to “American Legion Post 29” to 248 Glenville Road, Greenwich, CT 06831-4154.
