A group of dedicated high school students from Paulding, Ohio, is working hard to support their local veterans by shoveling snow and raising funds for the Paulding Veterans Memorial. This effort, led by a group of seniors, highlights the importance of honoring those who have served their country, even in small communities like Paulding.
A Community-Centered Effort
The initiative began when 17-year-old senior, Devyn Haller, pitched an idea to his teacher four years ago. As a freshman, Haller wanted to create a class where students could become more involved in their community. Fast forward to today, Haller is one of seven students participating in the school’s “Personal Growth and Positive Mindset” class, which works on community service projects.
“We do this project every year, it’s called Lead4Change,” said Haller. “We figure out a problem in our school or community, and we try to fix it or put some type of effort toward making it better.”
This year, the students have chosen to focus their efforts on raising funds for the Paulding Veterans Memorial, with the goal of honoring the community’s veterans.
Honoring Veterans and Family Legacy
For Haller and his classmates, the cause is personal. Haller’s brother is a Marine stationed in Okinawa, Japan, and his great-grandfather served in the Korean War. Similarly, classmate Ameriona Stiltner, who also participates in the project, has a family member who served.
“My brother, he’s a Marine, he’s 22, and he just graduated boot camp this summer,” said Stiltner. “I think that’s a big motivator for me. Also, my great-grandpa served in the Korean War.”
The students’ motivation to shovel snow and raise funds is not just about achieving their goal, but also about giving back to the veterans who have sacrificed for the country.
“We do this for them,” Haller said. “Even in our little, small community, veterans don’t get enough appreciation, so I think it’s important to build a memorial for them.”
Fundraising Success and Future Goals
When the class first started their fundraising campaign, their goal was to raise $1,000 by the end of March. However, they are already close to reaching that target and have set their sights even higher. “We’ve already almost raised about eight to nine hundred dollars, so we’re close to our goal, but we could definitely, you know, up that,” Haller said.
In addition to their efforts, the students have the opportunity to earn a Lead4Change grant for up to $10,000 to support their project. If they secure the grant, it will go directly toward the Paulding Veterans Memorial. “That’s really the end goal, to get the grant so we can have more than a thousand dollars to give,” said Haller.
All funds raised for the memorial are being collected by the Paulding Veterans of Foreign Wars Post and can be sent to the Paulding County Area Foundation.
