Organized by the college’s Office of Co-Curricular Activities, the noon event will be held in the student landing on the Daytona Beach Campus, 1200 W. International Speedway Blvd. The event is free and open to the public, particularly to current and former service members interested in how Daytona State helps its more than 1,300 military veterans with their transition into college life. Daytona State was recently designated a military-friendly school.
This year, the college has teamed up with amillionthanks.org, inviting students, staff and faculty to write letters of appreciation to veterans, as well as to active and reserve military serving at home, abroad or recovering in hospitals. The Student Government Association is collecting the messages and will mail them to the national organization for distribution.
Kicking off the event will be the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Color Guard, followed by keynote speaker Volusia County Council Chairman Jason Davis, a decorated U.S. Army combat veteran of Operation Desert Storm. Davis is an active member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion and Bikers for First Amendment Rights. A 2008 graduate of Daytona State, he began a four-year term with the County Council in January 2013.
Other speakers include:
• George Jacob - A second-year student and president of Daytona State’s Falcon Veterans Society Club. Prior to enrolling at the college, he served 14 years in the U.S. Army, where he was deployed twice to Iraq and once to the Mediterranean.
• Cathy Heighter-Moore - a member of the American Gold Star Mothers Program, a national organization dedicated to mothers who have lost a son or daughter in the service of our country. The non-profit organization, formed in 1928, provides emotional, peer and resource support to all gold-star mothers and their families.
In addition to the American Gold Star Mothers, the Military Order of the Purple Heart and the Ormond Beach chapter of Rolling Thunder will participate in the event.
Earlier in the day, Deltona Mayor John Masiarczyk will serve as keynote speaker for ceremonies at the college’s Deltona Campus, 2351 Providence Blvd., starting at 8:15 a.m. with flag-raising.
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