Tony Llerena
Coordinator of Veterans Education and Transition Services
www.umaine.edu/veterans
www.TheSummitProject.org
The Summit Project Partners with the University of Maine
for Tribute March to Military Appreciation Football Game and Honor Display Case
Orono, Maine – The Summit Project (TSP) will conduct a tribute march on September 26, 2015 hosted by The University of Maine. There will be a public memorial service at 1pm on the steps of Fogler Library. The march is intended to honor fallen service members from UMaine and surrounding communities. This ceremony will commence a one-month period over which UMaine will stand guard over this case, protecting both the stones and the memories of our fallen Maine service members.
This display will remain in the custody of the university as we bring many of the fallen home to the UMaine community where they once resided. Stones within this display will help share the memories of our fallen, along with the mission of TSP, with members of our community.
The march will consist of a 7.5-mile walk beginning at the Maine Veterans Home in Bangor on Saturday September 26th and ending at Alfond Stadium on the UMaine campus for the military appreciation football game, where they will be honored.
As part of the event, hikers will carry engraved TSP memorial stones that have been donated by family members to represent their fallen loved ones. Volunteers will learn about the service members whose stone they will carry, write a letter for the service member’s family, and read it during the memorial service on campus following the trek. The stones will be on display at the stadium prior to and during the game before becoming part of the temporary TSP display in the Memorial Room of the Memorial Union.
This event is open to students and faculty of UMaine, TSP alumni, and all of our surviving families. Members of the public are welcome to observe the event along the route, on campus, or at the football game. Complimentary tickets to the football game are available for active duty service members, veterans, and gold star families. Please contact Tony Llerena to request tickets.
TSP is a nationally recognized, Maine-based service organization, which provides a living memorial to pay tribute to the fallen service members from Maine who died in the line of duty since Sept. 11, 2001.