It all began one afternoon when I dropped by my parents' house and saw that my dad, Ray Foust, Jr., had fixed a huge plate of sandwiches to take to the local American Legion Hall for an event leading up to Veterans' Day. (Daddy was a Korean War Veteran from the Marine Corps.) That got me thinking that Daddy was a Veteran and he was doing something to show appreciation to other Veterans. I should probably be doing something to show appreciation and since I was a teacher, I could teach our students how to show appreciation for our Veterans. After all it was because of our Veterans that we were able to enjoy the freedom that we have in the United States. Veterans' Day was just around the corner so we had to work fast! I read a book to my 4th grade students entitled "Love You, Daddy". It was a story about a little girl named Katie whose Dad was a soldier in WWII. Sadly, as many of our soldiers, Katie's dad did not return home from WWII. My students began to gain an understanding of what our Veterans have sacrificed for us. We ran a brief article in the local newspaper advertising that we were having a Veterans' Appreciation Reception and invited any Veteran to attend. We decorated the room with red, white, and blue and had a flag cake, drinks, and cookies to serve. 11 Veterans came, including my dad. As the last Veteran was walking down the hall that afternoon, Mrs. Dianne, another 4th grade teacher, came out of her room next door and said, "We want to do that with you next year." The rest is history... from 11 Veterans attending in the year 2000 to nearly 350 attendees in 2019, The Veterans' Program continues to honor our Veterans... all because of what I saw one person do. Actions do speak louder than words. So Semper Fi - Master Sergeant Ray Foust, Jr., a proud Marine, you were the inspiration behind this successful program.