UTICA – Hundreds of handwritten cards from Mohawk Valley students are reaching local veterans ahead of Veterans Day, according to a November 2 update from Assemblywoman Marianne Buttenschon’s office.
The deliveries are the latest step in the seventh annual Cards for Vets initiative. Buttenschon and her staff have been bringing the student-made messages to American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars posts, nursing homes, senior centers and veterans organizations throughout the 119th Assembly District, the office said.
The update follows the Utica Phoenix’s October coverage of the school card drive. That earlier story described how schools could participate. The new announcement reports that cards are now being delivered, turning the classroom project into personal messages for veterans across the region.
A message from one generation to another
Students wrote and illustrated the cards themselves, according to the release. The project gives young people a concrete way to recognize military service: taking time to think about another person’s contribution, then expressing their thanks in their own words.
“Veterans Day is a time to remember that no act of service is ever forgotten, and that gratitude has no age,” Buttenschon said in the announcement.
She thanked the students and the educators who helped them, describing the messages as thoughtful and sincere. The office reported hundreds of cards and letters but did not provide a final count or a complete list of delivery stops.
More photos from Cards for Vets
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Schools across the Mohawk Valley took part
The November 2 release identified these participating schools and school systems:
- Utica City School District
- Rome City School District
- Whitesboro Central School District
- New York Mills Union Free School District
- Oriskany Central School District
- Utica Academy of Science
- Notre Dame Elementary and Junior/Senior High School
- Westmoreland Central School District
- New York State School for the Deaf
- House of the Good Shepherd/Tilton School
- Holland Patent Central School District
That participation connects students in several communities with veterans who may receive a card through a service organization or a care facility rather than at a school ceremony.
Recognition beyond November 11
In a separate opinion piece supplied with the announcement, titled “Gratitude Has No Age,” Buttenschon argued that civic engagement can begin with everyday acts of kindness and respect, well before a young person is old enough to vote. She described the card program as a tradition inspired by a local educator.
The November update did not announce a new public collection deadline or open drop-off arrangement. Anyone seeking information about the initiative should contact Buttenschon’s district office at 315-732-1055 rather than assuming that the earlier school collection remains open.
Source: November 2, 2026 press release and accompanying commentary supplied by the Office of Assemblywoman Marianne Buttenschon. The delivery totals and participating-school list are attributed to the office.
