• Home
  • News
  • Obituaries
  • Police & Fire
  • Sports
  • Education
  • Business
  • Real Estate
  • Advertise
  • Town
    • Westborough
    • Shrewsbury
    • Northborough
    • Marlborough
    • Hudson
    • Southborough
    • Grafton
  • Print Edition
Sign in
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Password recovery
Recover your password
Search
Thursday, January 26, 2023
  • Events
  • Contact us
Sign in
Welcome! Log into your account
Forgot your password? Get help
Password recovery
Recover your password
A password will be e-mailed to you.
Community Advocate news and events Community Advocate
  • Shrewsbury
  • Westborough
  • Northborough
  • Southborough
  • Grafton
  • Marlborough/Hudson Edition
  • Home
  • News
  • Obituaries
  • Police & Fire
  • Sports
  • Education
  • Business
  • Real Estate
  • Advertise
  • Town
    • Westborough
    • Shrewsbury
    • Northborough
    • Marlborough
    • Hudson
    • Southborough
    • Grafton
  • Print Edition
How can the Community Advocate help you promote your business?
Advertising Info
Suggest a Story
Free Subscription
Home Byline Stories - News Three local chambers of commerce join to honor veterans
  • Byline Stories - News
  • Hudson
  • People and Places

Three local chambers of commerce join to honor veterans

By
Cindy Zomar
-
December 3, 2019
188
Facebook
Twitter
Email

    By Cindy Zomar, Contributing Writer

    Three local chambers of commerce join to honor veterans
    (l to r) Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce President Tim Murray, Marlborough Regional Chamber of Commerce President Rob Schlacter, Robert Collings, founder of the Collings Foundation, and Jim Giammarinaro, president of the MetroWest Chamber of Commerce

    Hudson – In a rare gathering of the Marlborough Regional Chamber of Commerce, the MetroWest Chamber of Commerce and the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce, the American Heritage Museum in Hudson opened its doors for a special evening to celebrate America’s veterans and current members of the armed services. The honored guests were from every branch of the armed forces, representing every conflict that Americans have been in from WWII to the present, and humbly accepted the gratitude of the members of the three local organizations.

    The evening included guided tours through a museum – a chronologically arranged series of stirring videos, dioramas and exhibits. From the Revolutionary War to 9/11 and the ensuing war on terror in Iraq and Afghanistan, the history of the bravery and valor of the U.S. Armed Forces were highlighted.

    “The museum is dedicated to the 1.3 million Americans who’ve given their lives for their country,” said Robert Collings, founder of the Collings Foundation which established the American Heritage Museum. “We want people to participate and understand the history as they pay homage to our veterans.”

    Former Lt. Governor Tim Murray, the current president of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce, congratulated Collings.

    “What you’ve done here is on par with the National World War II Museum in New Orleans,” he said. “I sincerely hope this is the beginning of a series of annual events together.”

    Three local chambers of commerce join to honor veterans
    WWII Navy veteran Felix Caponi of Hudson Photo/Cindy Zomar

    Robert Schlacter, president of the Marlborough Regional Chamber of Commerce, recognized Felix Caponi from Hudson, a WWII Navy veteran from the Pacific Theater, who turned 96 on Nov. 14. Caponi stood at his seat and smiled and saluted as he received a standing ovation from the crowd.

    “Any day is a good day to thank a veteran, but it’s tough to find the right words to convey how much we appreciate their sacrifice,” Schlacter said.

    “Less than one half of one percent of our population are veterans, yet they put their own dreams on hold so that the rest of us can pursue our dreams,” added Jim Giammarinaro, president of the MetroWest Chamber of Commerce. “There is no way to ever thank them enough.”

    Portions of the ticket proceeds were donated to Sweats for Vets and Veterans Inc. Boston Scientific and Wakefly were the major sponsors of the evening. The Zak Casey American Vets from Marlborough provided the Color Guard for the event.

     

     

     

     

     

     

    • TAGS
    • Cindy Zomar
    • Collings Foundation
    • Jim Giammarinaro
    • Marlborough Regional Chamber of Commerce
    • Metrowest Chamber of Commerce
    • Robert Schlacter
    • Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Email
      Previous articleSenate passes Plastic Bag Ban Bill
      Next articleCity utilizes Marlborough Public Schools’ permanent art collection
      Cindy Zomar
      Cindy Zomar is a retired educator and PR coordinator who enjoys writing about school events and human interest features in the Marlborough area. She can be reached at 774-242-4348 or
      To email click here

      RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

      Hudson

      Hudson High stages ‘Bring It On!’

      Hudson

      Community members gather for Ruck March to Hudson Food Pantry

      Hudson

      Hudson Select Board discusses Jake brake prohibition

      Featured News

      Winter storm update: classes canceled

      Hudson

      Hudson Cultural Council receives state funding

      Hudson

      Cummings program grants $43,000 to local nonprofits

      Featured News

      • State Rep. Gentile plans virtual office hours

      • Semeter, Carpenter lead Westborough basketball to win over Marlborough

      • Marlborough Hudson January 27, 2023

      Follow Us

      Sign Up For Our Newsletter

      [mc4wp_form id="241018"]

      Archives

      community advocate logo
      ABOUT US

      The Community Advocate is an independently owned newspaper with a legacy of over 40 years serving the communities of Westborough, Hudson, Marlborough, Northborough, Shrewsbury, Southborough and Grafton. It is also the number-one circulated paper in those communities. We cover a wide variety of breaking news, municipal issues, human interest features and sports stories.

      For Advertising Inquiries:
      [email protected]

      For editorial inquiries:
      [email protected]

      Contact us: [email protected]
      FOLLOW US
      • Events
      • Contact us
      © Community Advocate. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy