Archives  

FORUM

Vets plaza support overwhelming

October 03, 2012

I'd like to thank Home Depot for its very generous donation of $18,000 that went toward purchasing pavers for the Jerry Taylor Veterans Plaza in downtown Sunnyside. And I'd also like to thank the 41 employees that came to Sunnyside last Thursday from different Home Depot stores, from Yakima to Hermiston.

This was way beyond our original request. On their own they decided to double what we originally asked for.

Thus, to Jim Carpenter at the Yakima store I'd like to give a big shout out to say "thank you" for your support of our project here in Sunnyside...and a "thank you" to the Yakima Home Depot Store Manager, Salvador Cobar.

And I'd like to thank Bill Ingram, the Sunnyside VFW Post Commander, for his help and support in making sure Home Depot was made to feel welcomed into our community. He made the request to Curt Nealen, the Lower Valley Honor Guard's Sgt-at-Arms, to have the Honor Guard present and offer a 21-gun salute and TAPS in remembrance of those who have given their lives for our nation in Iraq and Afghanistan during the past year. It was very fitting that we paused and had a moment of remembrance for the sacrifices that have been made for all of us.

Bill also arranged to make sure that the Home Depot employees were treated to lunch while they were here, by taking the VFW barbecue down to Ninth Street and preparing hamburgers and hot dogs for everyone.

And thanks to Yakima Federal Savings & Loan for offering its park area beside the Plaza for us to gather and rest in the shade. Also helping out with lunch were Sharon Hallman, Joyce Taylor and Vicki Carter. Thank you for all your planning and hard work.

And I want to thank the businesses that helped out with food, beverages and supplies: Yakima Pepsi, the local Safeway store, Sunnyside Food Mart, Edison Market, Buena Vista Mini Mart, Bleyhl's for loaning us containers for ice, and John Dalrymple for his generous support from day one. The food and drinks were great, and we are very thankful for everyone's generous support.

And I want to thank Joci Nelson for singing the National Anthem for us during our 10 a.m. ceremony last Thursday. She did a terrific job and got everyone in a very patriotic mood. Thank you Joci, and thanks for staying to help with lunch.

While the Home Depot employees were in town, besides laying the pavers at the plaza, they went to the VFW and painted the building. Thus, I want to thank Phil Hill for making sure that project went so smoothly.

A few of the Home Depot employees also went to a veteran's home and worked on his deck. While they were in town they asked if there was anything else they could do for the local veterans. I've seldom seen such a display of patriotism.

I want to remind everyone that these employees were not paid by Home Depot, but volunteered to pay for their own gas to come to Sunnyside, and to take time off work to be here in our community. We at the American Legion are very thankful for their dedication and support of the Jerry Taylor Veterans Plaza.

I also want to thank Jim Grubenhoff, the owner of Harold's Repair & Rental, for donating all the tools and equipment that we used to prepare the boulevard with the sand base that was needed before the cement pavers could be laid down. Jim has been very generous with regard to anything that we've needed from the day we began to remodel Jerry Taylor Veterans Plaza, and we are very thankful for his support of this project.

Thanks, too, to Joe Luther and the O.L. Luther Co. for the 13 yards of sand they donated towards the completion of this project.

Last, I want to thank the city of Sunnyside for its support of this project. It was a great that city officials took the time to present Home Depot with a plaque for their donation. That was very fitting. And I want to thank our mayor, Mike Farmer, for being our speaker and for presenting the plaque to Salvador Cobar, the Home Depot Yakima store manager.

And "thank you" to all of our guests who came and made the employees from Home Depot feel so welcome in our community.

It was a great day for our local veterans, and one last time I'd like to say "thank you" to everyone at Home Depot.

/s/ Greg Schlieve, Sunnyside American Legion Post Commander