Utica, NY – In honor of all those who served, Assemblywoman Buttenschon (D-119) and her team have been delivering hundreds of handcrafted cards and letters from local students to veterans throughout the 119th Assembly District. Each one is a personal message of gratitude, created as part of the Assemblywoman’s 7th Annual ‘Cards for Vets’ Initiative.

The cards, handwritten and drawn by students from school districts within the 119th District, have been presented to veterans at American Legion and VFW posts, nursing homes, senior centers, and veteran organizations throughout the Mohawk Valley.

“Veterans Day is a time to remember that no act of service is ever forgotten, and that gratitude has no age,” said the Assemblywoman. “Each one of these cards begins with a student sitting down to think about what it means to serve, what service is, and how to honor and recognize it. It is an enduring conversation, and one that we must continue to share with the next generation. Year-after-year, as I read the words of our students, I find it hard not to be moved by just how thoughtful, honest, and caring they are. It may sound small, but the beautiful sincerity of a young person’s words can mean the world, and I hope everyone who receives one feels just how deeply they are valued. To every student, and to the educators who guided them, thank you for your generous hearts.”

Participating schools included Utica City School District, Rome City School District, Whitesboro Central School District, New York Mills Union Free School District, Oriskany Central School District, Utica Academy of Science, Notre Dame Elementary & Junior/Senior High School, Westmoreland Central School District, the New York State School for the Deaf, the House of the Good Shepherd/Tilton School, and Holland Patent Central School District.

This year’s Cards for Vets Initiative brought together students, educators, and veterans in a shared effort to express gratitude. Now in its seventh year, the initiative is sponsored annually by Assemblywoman Buttenschon.

“To our veterans, thank you for your service, for your sacrifices, and for the examples you set for every generation that follows. Our gratitude for our veterans should never begin and end on November 11th, as every day should be a day we honor those who have given so much for all of us. May God bless our veterans and all those who serve.”