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BHS Friends of Rachel members decorate at VA Center
By Bonham ISD media release
Feb 19, 2010

Hundreds of Valentines made by the elementary students of the Bonham ISD were used Monday afternoon, Feb. 8, 2010, to decorate bulletin boards at the Sam Rayburn Memorial Veterans Center (SRMVC).

Members of the BHS Friends of Rachel group collected the Valentine’s made by students from Head Start, Finley-Oates and I. W. Evans and also blew up balloons to decorate in honor of National Salute to the Hospitalized Veterans celebrated the week of Feb. 8-12.

(l-r) BISD Rachel’s Challenge Coordinator Mary Jane Neal, Taylor Kirkpatrick, Rosario Chavarria, Rachel Kearney and Stetson Buckaloo

This is an annual nationwide program in which prominent individuals from the community, government and sports fields pay tribute to hospitalized veterans. The purpose of the National Salute is to express appreciation to hospitalized veterans, increase community awareness of the role of the VA North Texas Health Care System, encourage people to visit hospitalized veterans, and become involved as volunteers, according to Deloris Clemons, Administrative Service Manager of the SRMVC.

Rachel’s Challenge is a program in its second year in the BISD designed to encourage students to reach out to others, to be kind and to be compassionate. Members of the group decorating on Monday were Taylor Kirkpatrick, Rosario Chavarria, Rachel Kearney and Stetson Buckaloo, along with BISD Rachel’s Challenge Coordinator Mary Jane Neal.