America’s heroes at the Long Island State Veterans Home were recognized at a Veterans Day ceremony on November 11 with a special gift. The residents and adult day care participants were given new caps embroidered with their specific branch of service.

Members of the Stony Brook chapter of United University Professions (UUP) collected donations to fund the initiative, called Hats for Heroes.   

Each veteran received a cap emblazoned with the emblem of his or her branch of service.

At the ceremony, each veteran was greeted by the UUP Community Service Committee and presented with his or her hat. UUP has been providing donations to the Veterans Home for several years and raised $2,100 this year.

“We’re grateful for the service of our veterans and for the quality of the care at the Veterans Home,” said Arthur Shertzer, UUP West Campus president.

The group raised enough funds to purchase a cap for every veteran at the facility.