In honor of Veterans Day, Rochester Adams held its annual celebration on November 10 to salute the veterans in the Adams community. Students and staff at the high school each took a moment out of their day to respect those that served to protect our freedom.

The celebration included a Veterans Day breakfast open to all veterans, active duty, and their families with ties to the high school. Each veteran was treated to a complimentary continental breakfast and coffee and was welcomed with warm messages from students and staff members of Adams.

Each veteran was also given time to share with the group where, when, and which branch they served in, as well as any stories or information that they wanted to discuss. Families proudly displayed thoughtful signs in the cafeteria that featured thankful messaging and memorable photos relating to the veterans at the breakfast and the time that they served.

“I felt deeply honored to have been invited [to the breakfast],” said US Navy veteran Dennis Griffin. “Everyone truly seemed to appreciate the veterans. And to have been there with my wonderful grandson was icing on the donut.”

The breakfast concluded with members of Adams’ marching band playing various military anthems, and the veterans were free to mingle and venture outside, where the rest of the students and staff showed their appreciation.

During the breakfast, each second hour class planted small American flags in front of Adams’ marquee at the corner of Adams Rd. and Tienken Rd.

“We’ve built it to where it’s a whole school wide event,” said Adams principal Pasquale Cusumano. “I’ve been to other buildings where they just do a breakfast, and only 30 kids are involved. We wanted all of our Highlanders, all of our staff to take a moment to reflect on what is Veterans Day.”

By the end of the morning, Adams High School had a foreground of red, white, and blue; a grand display of patriotism and appreciation. Veterans walked outside to admire the amount of gratitude that exists across the Adams family for those who fought for freedom.

Adams is a class act each year. Its Veterans Day celebration is unmatched, and each veteran is beyond appreciative because of the gratitude displayed and given. The Veterans Day breakfast and celebration is a tradition at Adams that rightfully celebrates the heroes of the past and will continue to celebrate the generations of brave soldiers to come.