Even in the midst of a pandemic, you find a way. The 7th graders at Wapakoneta Middle School found a way to honor their veterans this year.
About 250 7th graders lined up around their school for a Veterans Day Drive-Thru Parade.
"I’m just impressed because our students do this whole thing," Will Snyder said, principal of the school. "They put it together. They build it from the ground up. And to have to do something new is—I’m just really impressed with what they’re doing and really proud to be a redskin."
"We have meetings in the morning," said Lacy Yoakam, a 7th-grade student who helped with the organization of the parade. "We all take a lot of time out of our day to do this. We even come to school early just for it. It’s a big group thing."
Traditionally, the Veterans Day event is held inside, but the COVID-19 pandemic has forced students to think more creatively.
"It’s really important to honor them even through this harsh time because we still want to show them that we care," Addison Hibbard said, another 7th-grade student.
"It’s just something that we can give to our community," said Snyder. "In this time of life, I think anything we can do positive is good for our kids."
The veterans, who were invited by the students, had a few stops to make along their way, picking up gifts, cookies, and letters from the students.
"About how to honor them and how it is important," said Hibbard. "How I’m so thankful that they could take time out of their day to come. It is really important."
"I wrote about how thankful I am," Yoakam said. "And how my dad has really shown me the importance of it because my dad was in the Army and he lost his hand to an RPG. So, I thought that was really important to write about."
