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Order of the Eastern Star hosts vets’ picnic, buys ‘wish list’ items in Ogdensburg, Canton and Massena

Posted 8/25/17

To the Editor: I am the District Grand Lecturer for the St. Lawrence District Order of the Eastern Star and one of my duties is to do something for our veterans. I chose to try and do something …

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Order of the Eastern Star hosts vets’ picnic, buys ‘wish list’ items in Ogdensburg, Canton and Massena

Posted

To the Editor:

I am the District Grand Lecturer for the St. Lawrence District Order of the Eastern Star and one of my duties is to do something for our veterans.

I chose to try and do something special for the veterans in our local nursing homes – United Helpers and St. Joseph’s in Ogdensburg, St. Regis and Highland in Massena, and Maplewood in Canton. I contacted each home to find out what might make their veterans’ life a little more enjoyable and they gave me what I called their wish list:

• St. Joseph’s Home – a wheel chair-accessible picnic table.

• St. Regis Home – patio furniture and umbrella.

• Highland Home – electric grill so they can have their cookouts for the veterans.

• United Helpers and Maplewood homes -- a picnic, which took place Aug. 21.

I am very proud to say we have totally completed the wish list of all of the nursing homes.

Needless to say, I had to raise the funds to pay for everything we wanted and since no funding comes from our grand chapter, it was time to start fund raising.

This first donation I received really got me started, it was my “seed money” and if it wasn’t for this I’m not sure how I would have been able to get started. Thanks to the St. Lawrence Federal Credit Union for their donation of $1,000. Todd Mashaw and their board of directors you helped us meet our goals and help our veterans.

When we were done with all of our fund raising -- by that I mean pin sales, donations from individuals, the donations and help from my chapters in the St. Lawrence District – they were behind this program with me all the way. The District Deputy Grand Matron, Karen Gurolla, and her husband raised over $1,300, some of which was donated to the color guard unit and disabled veterans programs in the Brasher Falls-Winthrop area.

When we were finished, we had raised approximately $5,800. I’m so very proud of what this district has done in helping to make our veteran’s lives a little more enjoyable.

There is another organization that I want to give a special “thank you” to and that is the Masonic Charities in Canton. These gentlemen responded, when asked for a donation, without any hesitation when told it was for the nursing home veterans. They very generously gave me a check for $500. I asked them if it would be okay to use the funds for the picnic for the veterans at the end of the summer and they were behind it 100 percent. Gentlemen, they enjoyed this so much and thank you for being the veteran’s picnic sponsor.

I cannot begin to thank everyone for the work they put into making the veterans program such a success. To all of you – thanks and God bless you.

Remember, it was not the size of the donation, it was all of the donations that made this the success that it was.

Mark Ginn

District Grand Lecturer

OES St. Lawrence District