Beneficiaries

The Tunxis Community College Veterans OASIS (Operation Academic Support for Incoming Service members) helps student veterans with the transition from the military to civilian life. It accomplishes this by connecting veterans with others who have had similar experiences, building camaraderie and giving them a home where their service is both understood and respected.  

The Pen-a-Thon donates to Tunxis Community College Veterans OASIS every year in honor of SHS alumnus Matt Melanson (class of 2009).

https://ctstate.edu/veterans

Sgt. Felix Del Greco was an SHS alumnus and a member of the Connecticut National Guard. Felix volunteered to be deployed several times and was tragically killed in action in April 2004.  He was the first member of the Connecticut National Guard to die in Iraq. Following his death, a scholarship was founded in his honor.  Each year, it provides an annual scholarship to dependent children of Connecticut National Guard members.

22Kill started in 2013 as a social media movement to raise awareness for the 22 veterans a day who commit suicide.  As the project grew, it began to shift its focus from awareness to suicide prevention. 22Kill accomplishes this through 2 important steps.  First, through education and awareness, they aim to open up the conversation and destigmatize PTSD.  Second, through their own programs and external resources, they work to empower veterans by instilling a sense of purpose and connecting them with like-minded individuals.

The Pen-a-Thon donates to 22Kill each year in honor of SHS alumnus Colin Mulhaul (class of 2007).

Founded in 2004, the Achilles Freedom Team is one of the many programs run by Achilles International, an organization that helps people with physical and mental disabilities to be physically active by participating in mainstream running events. The Freedom Team is their program that caters specifically to injured veterans and military personnel, both with combat and non-combat related injuries. Achilles helps their athletes to build physical strength as well as confidence by leading workouts, teaching them how to use adaptive racing technology, and pairing them with able-bodied running guides, with the final goal being to enter and complete a marathon.

The Fisher House Foundation builds and operates homes near military and VA medical centers around the world where veterans and their families can stay while receiving medical care. The organization has served more than 500,000 families, allowing family members to support and stay with their loved ones without huge out-of-pocket lodging and transportation costs. They also use donated frequent flyer miles and hotel points to help family members visit injured service members.

You probably know of Gary Sinise from his iconic role as Lt. Dan in the film Forrest Gump. In recent years, Sinise and his foundation have worked tirelessly to support our veterans and first responders through a variety of programs. These programs include R.I.S.E., which builds adaptive smart homes for wounded veterans, the Snowball Express, which brings Gold Star families to Disney World each year during the holidays, and a variety of mental health programs for veterans and their families. This year, the Pen-a-Thon will be donating to the foundation's R.I.S.E. program to help provide a either a home, home modifications, or an adaptive vehicle to a wounded veteran.

SHS Pen-a-Thon is currently distributing pens through Scoops for Troops events. The organization was founded by nine-year-old Michael Ahern to send wounded veterans and their families on a weeklong retreat hosted by the Travis Mills Foundation

Scoops For Troops