The Freemasons of Letchworth District Post# 32, which is composed of Masons from Genesee, Wyoming and Livingston Counties, organized and presented gift items to war veterans at the Batavia Veterans Medical Center at the VA on Richmond avenue on Saturday afternoon.
Grand Master of the Masons of the State of NY, William Sardone made his first trip to the WNY VA Campus to assist in the distribution of the items to the veterans.
“I am very impressed with the facility, the structure and the way everything is being held, it is very impressive, says Sardone.
Sardone, who is based out of the NYS Grand Lodge in New York City, says there are currently 35,000 Masons in New York State.
Sardone is a retired veteran with 38 years of service in the Army.
“Having an opportunity to be in this country where you can have Lodge meetings, do good work and have the freedoms that we are protected by, compared to other countries , we are very lucky and I appreciate that.”
The program was made possible through the support of the Military Outreach Committee of the Masonic Service Association and the Grand Lodge F.&A.M. of NYS who provided the funding.
“I’m here to be part of the team that hands out the gloves, hands out the shaving cream, just here to help,” says Sardone.
67 war veterans received a cosmetic gift bag from the Batavia Wal-mart, along with hats, gloves and pouches that were provided by the Chairman of the Military Outreach Committee.
“A lot of them, people never come to see, no one sits and talks to them for even 5-10 minutes,” says Mike Rhodes, Letchworth District Representative of the Masonic Service Association/ Military Outreach.
“It’s not the cosmetics so much, it’s the personal contact, it gives us an opportunity to help a veteran.”