Folds of Honor receives check from Butler County Hometown Heroes
Doing more for the men and women who protect our country at home and abroad is what the Butler County Hometown Heroes is all about, and the organization did just that during its Hometown Heroes dinner Sept. 30.
However, the giving back wasn’t finished.
On Friday, Nov. 3, the Butler County Hometown Heroes program presented a check for $2,420.57 to the Western Pennsylvania chapter of Folds of Honor at Missing Links Brewing in Renfrew.
Folds of Honor provides scholarships to the spouses and children of America’s fallen or disabled military members.
“Butler County has probably been our biggest supporter as a region in Western Pennsylvania,” Western Pennsylvania Folds of Honor chapter president Mike Popella said. “I think it's growing because of the folks here today.”
Jack Cohen, president of Butler County Tourism & Convention Bureau; Tammy Schuey, general manager of the Butler Eagle; Keith Graham, vice president of advertising at the Butler Eagle; Butler County Sheriff Mike Slupe; and Crystal Popella, with Folds of Honor, also were in attendance for the check presentation.
Crystal Popella, wife of Mike Popella, said the money donated by Butler County Hometown Heroes is leftover money raised during the event, and will go directly to scholarships.
“We cover kindergarten through 12th grade, private education as well as secondary college education for those families that qualify,” Popella said.
Folds of Honor has 31 chapters across the country, she said, and the Western Pennsylvania chapter covers from State College, to the farthest western part of the state. All funds from the local chapter go to local students.
Slupe said the September event could not have been possible without the Rotaries in Butler County, which were instrumental in finding the candidates to be honored at the Hometown Heroes dinner.
“Jack (Cohen), who at the time was the district governor for the Rotary, he came up with the idea to have all the Rotaries in Butler County pick law enforcement, EMS and firefighters from each of those communities,” Slupe said. “Then with this funding we were inviting each of the candidates and their family to a free dinner.”
Cohen said he is honored to work with the servicemen and servicewomen of Butler County and praised them for what they do.
“We are blessed to have people like Mike (Slupe) in uniform here to protect us and make sure we are safe,” Cohen said. “All of those things we need to credit back to these folks. That's most important.”
Slupe thanked Sam Royer, a former U.S. Marine and president of Salute Home Loans, who, Slupe said, came up with the idea and funding for the Hometown Heroes program.
“Once he (Royer) did that, I called Jack (Cohen) and we got this great group together here today,” Slupe said. “We had meetings to put this together and it turned out to be a wonderful event which we hope to do again next year and we are honored to give Folds of Honor of Western Pennsylvania a check today.”
