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Neighbors | Jessica Harker .Local veterans Ken Jakubec and Leo Connelly attended the dedication ceremony July 23 that they organized after spear heading a project to get six benches donated to local fallen soliders and flag poles honoring all branches of service outside of the Austintown Quaker Steak and Lube.
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Neighbors | Jessica Harker .Quaker Steak and Lube Director Rachel Meszaros spoke at a dedication ceremony at the Austintown location where six benches dedicated to local fallen soliders and flags honoring all branches of the US military were erected.
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Neighbors | Jessica Harker .AnnaMaria Jadue, a YSU alumna, sung the National Anthem at Quaker Steak and Lube's dedication ceremony July 23.
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Neighbors | Jessica Harker .Gold star family members of David Eisenbraum surrounded a bench dedicated in his honor July 23. Family members included Eisenbraum's sister, Jenny Kennedy, who donated money for the purchase of five of the six benches dedicated to fallen soliders at the Austintown Quaker Steak and Lube.
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Neighbors | Jessica Harker .Gold star family members surrounded benches dedicated to their fallen loved ones July 23 at the Austintown Quaker Steak and Lube's dedication ceremony.
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Neighbors | Jessica Harker .Ken Carano spoke during the dedication ceremony at the Austintown Quaker Steak and Lube on July 23 honoring six new benches dedicated to local fallen soliders and flag poles honoring all branches of military service.
By JESSICA HARKER
jharker@vindy.com
Quaker Steak and Lube in Austintown hosted a dedication ceremony on July 23.
The business dedicated six new benches to local fallen soldiers and flags to all branches of military service.
“Us at Quaker Steak and Lube are very proud to be a part of this,” said marketing manager Phillip Hall.
Hall said that the project was brought to the business by local veterans Ken Jakubec and Leo Connelly.
Jakubec said that he and Connelly are both regulars at the Austintown location and noticed the benches needed redone.
Connelly then came up with the idea to get new benches donated to the location in memoriam of six local heroes.
“We are both very involved in the veterans community and when Leo came up with the idea I thought it was great,” Jakubec said.
Five of the six benches were donated to the location by Jenny Kennedy, whose brother is David Eisenbraun whom one of the benches is dedicated to.
The last bench was donated by Applegate Furniture, from which all the benches were purchased.
“When Applegate heard that Jenny wanted to purchase all of the benches they were so moved they wanted to donate one to us,” Connelly said.
Ken Carano hosted the ceremony, dedicating the benches to the local heroes.
AnnaMaria Jadue, a graduate of Austintown Fitch High School and Youngstown State University, sang the National Anthem at the event.
Gold star family members from each of the fallen soldiers were present at the event, according to Connelly.
“We were very honored to have all of the gold star families here with us today,” Connelly said. “This is only a small thing that we can do to thank them for their sacrifice.”
Connelly and Jakubec are also involved in Quaker Steak and Lube’s annual Patriots Day event.
“We have been having Patriots Day since the Austintown location was opened,” Hall said. “I believe they have been there every year.”
Connelly also worked to get the road down to Quaker Steak and Lube renames to Patriots Boulevard that was changed earlier this year.
“We are so proud to have these flags in front of our restaurant,” said Restaurant Director Rachel Meszaros.
This year’s annual Patriots Day event will be on Sept. 5 at the Austintown location.