Saint Leo celebrates Veterans Appreciation Week
In recognition of veterans and those serving their country, the university will celebrate Veterans Appreciation Week, November 8 – 16 with a variety of events and activities.
The university will host its Honoring Our Veterans Ceremony, at 1:30 p.m., Friday, November 8, at the For Those Who Serve sculpture in Dempsey Plaza between the Student Community Center and Student Activities Building. The public is invited to this ceremony, which will include a presentation of the colors by Saint Leo’s ROTC cadets; brief statements by President Jeffrey D. Senese and guest speaker retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. John LeMoyne; and a wreath-laying ceremony featuring patriotic music.
LeMoyne, who also is speaking at an invitation-only luncheon prior to the ceremony, served 40 years, including combat tours in Vietnam, Panama, and Iraq. He received five awards for valor and the Purple Heart for wounds he received in combat. When the terrorist attacks of 9/11 occurred, LeMoyne was asked to delay retirement to serve as chief of human resources and personnel for the Army at the Pentagon to help rebuild the team following the attacks. His grandson is a freshman at Saint Leo.
On Veterans Day, Monday, November 11, the Saint Leo community will observe a Day of Service. There will be no classes that day, but there will be plenty of opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to volunteer in the community. If interested in volunteering, register at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050945adac2ca5f49-veterans1
The Saint Leo Military Resource Center at University Campus will host an open house from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, November 12. The MRC is lakefront in Apartment Building 4. Stop by to learn more about the center and the Office of Military Affairs and Services. On Wednesday, November 13, ROTC and the Office of Military Affairs and Services will hold Land Navigation 101 for students. The program will show students the basics of map navigation and challenge their basic map comprehension.
Students will create photos with patriotic frames and make their own dog tags in honor of a favorite veteran on Thursday, November 14.
At 7 p.m., Friday, November 15, Saint Leo’s volleyball team takes on the Florida Tech Panthers in a military appreciation match. Active duty servicemembers, military veterans, first responders, and their families will receive free admission with a valid I.D. Those attending the volleyball match will receive red, white, and blue candy apples, which will be distributed by the Campus Activities Board.
The week will be capped off by the College of Arts and Sciences’ interdisciplinary conference on the Centennial of World War I, 1919-2019, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Saturday, November 16, in the Student Community Center, boardrooms A and B. Information and registration can be found at https://www.saintleo.edu/centennial-ww1-peace-conference. For more information about Veterans Appreciation Week at Saint Leo University or to request accommodations, email studentaffairs@saintleo.edu or call (352) 588-8992.
Saint Leo WorldWide will celebrate veterans with service projects and participation in community events including:
- The Savannah Education Center will participate in the Veterans Day parade on Saturday, November 9, and will set up a table in Forsyth Park and give bags of food to homeless veterans.
- The Gwinnett Education Center will spend time on Veterans Day, November 11, at Delmar Gardens of Gwinnett with residents with dementia. Volunteers will be reading, singing, playing games, and walking with residents.
- The Shaw Education Center and Sumter Education Office will participate in the Sumter County (SC) Veterans Association event on November 11, which will include a parade at 10 a.m., a ceremony at 11 a.m., and celebration with vendors following the ceremony until 1 p.m.
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