A National Day of Service

I am proud to share with you that I am a 9/11/2001 First Responder, I am a retired member of the US Army, I am a proud veteran, and I am a resident of Waushara County.
Here, in Waushara County, we have a lot to be grateful for. We have beautiful parks and farms, crystal clear lakes and streams, and yes, more deer than we know what to do with.
We have law enforcement, fire fighters, EMS, and veterans who strengthen our community and keep us safe. They work long hours and it can often be thankless work, but they persist. These men and women are the backbone of our community, heroes in our back yard. I am grateful for neighbors who selflessly give of themselves and are willing to risk life and limb in service.
I can think of no greater example of this selflessness in my lifetime, than September 11th, 2001. The responders and survivors of 9/11 live in all 50 states and in 433 out of 435 congressional districts. In New York, fire fighters established a command center within 4 minutes of the first plane impact. The official response time of the NYFD was 15 seconds.
As the events of 9/11 unfurled, the destruction was immense and the imagery intense. What wasn’t covered so well on TV or in news articles, is how so many different fire departments, law enforcement agencies, and all of the military branches, worked together seamlessly. Our communities rallied, and the country looked to clear the debris and recover our loved ones. 2,976 lives lost that day, many more from illness and injury in the years since.

In 2009 US Congress established 9/11 as a National Day of Service. This is a day for all of us to embrace our community with acts of service, honoring those we lost.
On September 11th 2025, I will begin the day as I do on every 9/11 anniversary, listening to the names being read in New York, Pennsylvania, and at the Pentagon. But this year, after the names are read, I will join members of our community in preparing for the inaugural Waushara County Heroes Chili Cookoff, my personal act of service for 9/11/2025.
This is a day for Waushara County to display our best, to honor our neighbors, and enjoy each other’s company. Please join us at the Waushara County Fairgrounds on Saturday, Sept. 13th, beginning at 8 a.m. and going until 10 p.m., for a full day of family friendly activities and thank the public servants in our community that keep us safe. Check out our event page on Facebook for a schedule of events throughout the day.