|
|
 |
| Recent News |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
| |
|
| Recent News |
|
| |
Junior League of Berkshire County Event featured in the Berkshire Eagle
May 07, 2006 - The Junior League of Berkshire County (JLBC) and Eastover Resort held Family Fun Day, a free event to honor the families of soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Below is the article featured in The Berkshire Eagle:
Leaving their cares behind
by Jenn Smith, Berkshire Eagle Staff
Sunday, May 07 For a few moments, there was sunshine in their lives. The men, women and children got to go swimming, to jump on a Bouncy Castle, to eat hot dogs and ice cream sundaes, and to do all those things that families enjoy.
The only thing missing yesterday was the one family member who could make things complete; the one who is many miles away, fighting for them, in the war.
About 20 families of soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan gathered at Eastover Resort to enjoy Family Fun Day, organized by the Junior League of Berkshire County women's group and the resort.
"In a small way, your load is lifted today. Our goal is to provide your families with the gift of our gratitude for the sacrifices you and your families have made," Elizabeth Avery, president of the Junior League, said.
The event gave families open access to the resort, which included tennis and an indoor swimming pool, as well as activities such as face painting and hayrides.
This year, Ticki Winsor, the owner of Eastover, said the resort is offering a discount to guests who have served in the military.
The majority of families present had a loved one serving in Iraq, and for most of them, this isn't the first time that loved one has been deployed.
"There's families here who've had to go through this two or three times," said Kathie Penna-Ward of the Junior League.
Such is the case with the Sartori family. Betty and Albert Sartori of Cheshire attended the event with their grandsons Jordan, 8, and Nathan Sartori, 6, of Clarksburg.
Their son Jeffrey Sartori, the boys' father, is stationed in Baghdad, Iraq. It is his second tour there with the Army.
When the boys visit their grandparents, they look at maps of the Middle East to explain where their father is, and they keep a calendar to mark off the days until his return.
"Their daddy's a career soldier. Every day (he's away) is a long day," said Betty Sartori, "but today is the first time we've been able to do something like this with the family."
The boys had the opportunity at the event to have their pictures taken and printed and to decorate a picture frame to send to Iraq.
Although the families said that the local American Red Cross does well to offer support groups — which one woman called "her angels" — family-oriented activities are rarely organized.
"What we've discovered is that the support groups in the area feel that the community support has been dwindling in recent months. They feel that many people are not supporting the war, so, therefore, do not support the troops," said Jennifer Glockner of the Junior League.
Mary Walsh of Dalton, a friend of the family of James Ward of Pittsfield, who is an Army staff sergeant in Iraq, said that many people are afraid to speak up about or in support of the war because it is a battle that is not readily favored.
"The message (the families) want to spread is that no matter how you feel about the war, please realize that there are still troops from Berkshire County and the surrounding areas fighting over there. ... Something as simple as hanging an American flag outside your house shows that you support them," Glockner said.
(c) 2006 The Berkshire Eagle. All rights reserved. Reproduced with the permission of Media NewsGroup, Inc. by NewsBank, Inc.
<< Return
to News
|
|
|
|
|
