With a father who’s a member of the U.S. Army reserves and has been deployed overseas three times, Westfield students Kat and Clare Lanigan knew how they felt during those difficult times and wanted to do something about it.
In 2006, the Lanigan sisters started "A Thousand Thanks to Military Children", a charity program that sends thank-you letters to children of deployed soldiers, reassuring those at home that they too are heroes.
“I hope [the kids] realize that they are not alone, and that what they are doing is just as important because it sucks when a parent is gone,” said Clare, 16. “We want them to know that their sacrifice is not unnoticed and that what they’re doing is an incredible thing.”
And apparently, someone else has noticed as well.
On Sunday, Kat and Clare Lanigan were presented with the President’s Volunteer Service Award by President George W. Bush on the South Lawn of the White House.
<b>THE PRESIDENT’S VOUNTEER SERVICE AWARD</b> was created by the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation and is given to youth ages 14 and under who have completed 50 or more hours of volunteer service, to individuals 15 and older who have completed 100 or more hours and to families or groups who have completed 200 or more hours.
For Kat and Clare Lanigan, who are both members of the Westfield Bulldog varsity volleyball team, they defeated the required hours with a perfect dig, set and spike. In other words, the project has netted over 30,000 total letters and a whole lot more time spent than originally anticipated.
“We never really expected the response we’ve been getting,” said Kat, 17. “It’s taken more of our time than we thought it would, but it’s been really gratifying to know that we can help even a little bit.”
The duo would like to keep the organization running at least through Clare’s high school career and would welcome a transition to someone else who wanted to take the program over.
For more information or to request a letter, visit www.saluteourservices.org