Honoring our veterans at LHSAA events

Once a year, our great country gathers together to honor our nation’s finest heroes, our veterans. On behalf of the Louisiana High School Athletic Association (LHSAA), I encourage all member-schools with the ability to do so to consider honoring their communities’ veterans at their football games  – either before or at halftime of the game – during the weekend prior to Veteran’s Day.

The American military serves as a steadfast protector of our great nation and everything we hold dear to our hearts. Those that enlist in its ranks risk their own lives so that we may enjoy ours free from terror and fear. While we may never be able to repay our hometown heroes in kind, we can certainly thank and honor them at each possible opportunity.

In today’s world, I believe that it is essential to instill a great sense of pride, patriotism and drive for an engaged citizenry in our state’s high school students. We believe that participation in this recognition of American veterans can help accomplish that goal.

This year, Veteran’s Day falls on Monday, November 11, 2013, and we’d like to see our veterans honored at football games that fall between November 7 and November 9. We hope that the legacy of our veterans will inspire member-schools to set aside a few minutes at their games to recognize these wonderful individuals and to thank them for their service and commitment to their communities and country.

I also hope that member-schools without football teams will consider honoring past and present members of the military at another appropriate school-related venue and/or occasion.

If your school decides to recognize your community’s veterans at an upcoming game or event around Veteran’s Day, please send us photos and/or videos so that we may display them on our website and social media outlets. You may mail them to:

LHSAA
Attn: Renee Trimble
12720 Old Hammond Highway
Baton Rouge, LA 70816

You may also send pictures or videos via e-mail to Communications Director Renee Trimble atrtrimble@lhsaa.org.

I’d like to thank Robert Beresford Williams, a combat veteran of “America’s Greatest Generation,” for bringing this initiative to the attention of the LHSAA and countless other education institutions. I also thank all member-schools in advance for considering this request to pay homage to true American heroes who have dedicated their lives to faithfully serving us.