Program expands from Purple Heart recipients to all vets

January 28, 2011 at 12:05a.m.

LISBON

A program to honor Columbiana County veterans is expanding this year.

Sharen Cope and Bob Crosser, two members of the fair board, last year created a program to honor wounded veterans.

People who made quilts, afghans or crocheted goods were asked to make items that would be given to local veterans who were awarded the Purple Heart.

For the 2011 fair, the program will be expanded to honor all county men and women who have served in the military.

This year’s theme will be “The Price of Freedom.”

Items submitted should be at least 40 inches by 60 inches and must be red, white and blue. Exhibitors won’t get their work back.

At the end of the fair, the items will be distributed to the veterans.

Families who want to nominate a veteran to receive one of the items should send the necessary information for their veteran and a contact number to the fair office, P.O. Box 356, Lisbon, OH 44432 to the attention of Cope; or to VFW Post 892, 496 Arch Street, Salem, OH 44460 to the attention of Blair Whitman; or to Amvets Post 45, 750 S. Broadway, Salem, OH 44460 to the attention of Butch Hardy. Other veterans organizations that want to participate should contact Cope at the fair office.

Cope said, “We just recently did a presentation at the Ohio Fair Managers Association convention in Columbus on our Purple Heart for Veterans project for 2010, and the association’s hope is that the other county fairs in the state of Ohio will follow our lead in honoring their veterans at their fairs.”

Cope and Crosser have been working with the Veterans of Foreign Wars and Amvets in Salem to continue the program.

Cope said she and Crosser already have been invited to the Trumbull County Fair in July for its recognition of veterans.

Theresa Call, the administrative assistant to Howard Call, the executive director for the Ohio State Manager’s Association, said other counties are showing interest in the program. People interested in the program can contact Cope at 330-651-3777 or the fair office at 330-424-5531.