I maneuvered through the chairs and asked him if I could put the pin on his shirt. He looked a little
confused, like he didn’t realize what was happening. I told him it was my honor to place the pin on his shirt and welcome him home. At that point I saw a little glimmer of pride in his eyes. After the ceremony everyone walked across the roadway where lunch was being served. As I walked up to the end of the line, I
noticed an emblem on the jacket of a man waiting in line. It was of the 173 rd Airborne Brigade. The same
brigade my son Devin had been with when he parachuted into Iraq on March 20, 2003. Of course, I wanted
to speak with this man because of my interest in his patch. I touched the man on the arm to get his
attention. When he turned around, I realized it was the same Veteran I had pinned just minutes before. A
chill went up my spine and goosebumps developed on the back of my neck. God put this veteran in my
path that day. We visited for quite some time, and I learned so much more about the history of the “Sky
Soldiers”.
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Who would have thought I would receive a blessing by going to a Vietnam Ceremony?

Karen Alexander
American Gold Star Mother – Albuquerque Chapter

AGSM, Inc. Tampa Bay also hosted a Christmas Cookie and Treats Table at the Fisher House at Lake Nona, Orlando VA Medical Health Care System. Volunteering at this Fisher House is part of the AGSM, Inc. Dept of FL-PR's vision and mission to serve at all seven of the Fisher Houses in the great state of Florida. All this would not be possible without the vision of the Fisher House founders, Zachary and Elizabeth Fisher.   Many thanks to Fisher House community partners, Operation Patriot Support, and the Fisher House Foundation. 
In February, at the Veterans Council of Hillsborough County, FL., Inc., the Tampa Bay Chapter served cupcakes and kisses, Hershey Kisses, to the veterans in attendance. Needless to say, it was a sweet, sweet event for those who enjoyed the cupcakes and the kisses....the chocolate ones, that is!

Submitted by Toni Gross
AGSM, Inc., Tampa Bay 
VAVS CDCE Chairman

In 2017, I attended my first Westgate Foundation Military Appreciation Weekend. I was invited during my first week as the Department President of FL-PR, and it marked my first official opportunity to build relationships outside my local chapter.

Every year, the Westgate Foundation provides vacations to eligible active-duty military members, veterans, and Gold Star families. These families enjoy a three-day, two-night, stress-free weekend filled with family-friendly activities, live music, and patriotic displays at the Westgate property in Kissimmee, Florida. Additionally, various veteran service organizations, including American Gold Star Mothers, set up tables for a one-day resource fair. Many of these organizations focus on managing PTSD through counseling, equine therapy, and the use of service dogs. 
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Seven years later, that initial opportunity has allowed me to connect with numerous individuals from various veteran service organizations. They share a common vision and a commitment to the same goals as AGSM, Inc. If you attended our 2021 national convention in West Palm Beach, you may remember that the Westgate Foundation was a sponsor. Since then, the Foundation has generously donated to the Department of FL-PR. With these donations, we established our own Chapter Grants for veteran service projects, similar to our National Chapter Grant program, and named it the Georgie Carter-Krell Grant.

This past weekend, my Gold Star sisters, Lorrie Fleming and Sandy Miller, managed the resource table, after which we attended the concert. It was during this event that we received a generous $10,000 donation! Just imagine how many veterans we can support with that funding!

Annette M Kirk
National 1st Vice President
American Gold Star Mothers, Inc.
Proud Gold Star Mother of
PFC Paul O Cuzzupe II, US Army
12/2/86 - 8/8/10
“Standing in the Gap”

The National Capital Chefs Association (NCCA) sponsored a charity golf tournament once again at the Crofton Country Club in Crofton, Maryland.  The Warrior Events organization was the benefactor of the charity tournament.  Mr. John O’Leary, Founder/ Chief Motivational Officer and Mr. Bob Saunders, Chief Caring Officer, for the Warrior Events organization invited Maryland Chapter Gold Star Mothers to volunteer.  Janice Chance, Stephanie White and Donna Robinson represented the MD Chapter. Gold Star Spouse Kathy Thorp also joined the Warrior Events leaders Mr. O’Leary, Mr. Saunders, Mark Humphries, Mr. Greg Sharpe, Chairman NCCA and other volunteers. The moms and Kathy assisted with preparing swag bags, greeting and checking in golfers and selling raffle tickets.   After Mr. Humphries thanked the golfers for their support and provided information about the Warrior Events Organization, Chaplain Janice Chance briefly shared about the Gold Star Mothers organization, the service of the MD Chapter and about her hero. Donna, Stephanie and Kathy were also given the opportunity to share about their hero.  Janice said a prayer prior to the golfers being given the signal to start the tournament. There were approximately 125 golfers who participated in the tournament.  It was another successful tournament.