Muncie Times, Muncie, Delaware County, 11 January 2007 — Page 27

The Muncie Times • January 11, 2007 • Page 27

N.Y. college uses Martin Luther King Day to salute nation's veterans

PURCHASE, N.Y.— Manhattanville College's Hats off to Veterans offers Americans an opportunity to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy of service, and affirm the sacrifices of veterans especially, those hospital bound due to injury while serving in the U.S. armed forces. An individual or group can complete the "Hats Off" service project in less than a day. The program is one of hundreds of activities that the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation is promoting to honor the legacy of Dr. King. In 1994, Congress passed the King Holiday

an d Service Act, directing the King Center and the Corporation for National and Community Service to carry out a day of service reflecting Dr. King's life and teachings. The holiday is not only a time for celebration and remembrance, education and tribute, but also a day of service. When a people enroll in the “Hats Off to Veterans program”, they agree to mail or deliver a respectful greeting and note of encouragement to a hospitalized veteran. They receive a "Hats Off" starter kit containing a hospitalized veteran's contact information, guidelines for letter writing and optional care

package preparation, a freedom bracelet, and a specially designed My Veteran Soldier baseball hat to include with the greeting they send to their veteran. Visit www.mysoldier.com to sign up. Registration and starter kits are free but donations are accepted. While the Hats Off to Veterans launch coincides with Martin Luther King Day, the college hopes that interest in this ser-vice-learning program, that includes educational components to raise public awareness about veterans' issues, remains strong year round. The program's Web site, www.mysoldier.com is

updated monthly with educational resources, lesson plans and informative links. In February www.mysoldier.com will commemorate Black History Month by spotlighting the achievements of the Tuskegee Airmen, an elite group of African American pilots who broke down barriers that resulted in the integration of the Armed Forces. The Tuskegee Airmen not only battled enemies during wartime but also fought against racism and racial segregation, thus proving they were just as good as any other pilots. Commenting on the importance of Hats Off to Veterans, Richard

Berman, president of Manhattanville College, said, "We hope to encourages participants to honor veterans and remember their brave service, so that no Soldier will ever feel that their actions were forgotten." According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs there are about 25 million American veterans. Nearly 30 percent of those veterans are disabled, including over 15,000 from the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. For more information about Hats Off to Veterans or how to participate,visit www.mysoldier.com, or e-mail my soldier @ mville.edu.

Ride MITS Buses Free January 15, 2007 Celebrating Martin Luther King Jr Day