Utica, NY — In honor of all those who served, Assemblywoman Buttenschon (D-119) and her team have been
delivering hundreds of handcrafted cards and letters from local students to veterans throughout the 119th
Assembly District. Each one is a personal message of gratitude, created as part of the Assemblywoman’s 7th
Annual ‘Cards for Vets’ Initiative.
The cards, handwritten and drawn by students from school districts within the 119th District, have been presented
to veterans at American Legion and VFW posts, nursing homes, senior centers, and veteran organizations
throughout the Mohawk Valley.
“Veterans Day is a time to remember that no act of service is ever forgotten, and that gratitude has no
age,” said the Assemblywoman. “Each one of these cards begins with a student sitting down to think
about what it means to serve, what service is, and how to honor and recognize it. It is an enduring
conversation, and one that we must continue to share with the next generation. Year-after-year, as I
read the words of our students, I find it hard not to be moved by just how thoughtful, honest, and caring
they are. It may sound small, but the beautiful sincerity of a young person’s words can mean the world,
and I hope everyone who receives one feels just how deeply they are valued. To every student, and to the
educators who guided them, thank you for your generous hearts.”
Participating schools included 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 & Junior/Senior High School, Westmoreland Central School District, the New
York State School for the Deaf, the House of the Good Shepherd/Tilton School, and Holland Patent Central School
District.
This year’s Cards for Vets Initiative brought together students, educators, and veterans in a shared effort to express
gratitude. Now in its seventh year, the initiative is sponsored annually by Assemblywoman Buttenschon.
“To our veterans, thank you for your service, for your sacrifices, and for the examples you set for every
generation that follows. Our gratitude for our veterans should never begin and end on November 11th,
as every day should be a day we honor those who have given so much for all of us. May God bless our
veterans and all those who serve.”
DISTRICT OFFICE: Room 401, State Office Building, 207 Genesee Street, Utica, New York 13501 • 315-732-1055, FAX: 315-732-1413
ALBANY OFFICE: Room 528, Legislative Office Building, Albany, New York 12248 • 518-455-5454, FAX: 518-455-5928
EMAIL: buttenschonm@nyassembly.gov
About Assemblywoman Marianne Buttenschon
Assemblywoman Marianne Buttenschon proudly represents New York’s 119th Assembly District, encompassing
the cities of Utica and Rome as well as the Towns of Floyd, Deerfield, Marcy, and Whitestown. From a lifelong
educator and former Dean of Public Service and Emergency Preparedness at Mohawk Valley Community College,
to a small family farm owner, Buttenschon brings decades of experience advocating for equity, access, and
opportunity across public health, education, agriculture, and emergency services. In the Assembly, she serves as
Chair of the Committee on Small Business and as a member of the Agriculture, Education, Higher Education, and
Veterans’ Affairs Committees, where she champions bipartisan solutions to improve quality of life. Her work
reflects a steadfast commitment to ensuring that every family in her district and beyond can live with dignity,
support, and a voice in their future.
-####-
