ST. CLAIRSVILLE — St. Clairsville Middle School Student Council will be honoring Ohio Valley veterans on Monday.

The council will be hosting a breakfast at the school at 8 a.m. to mark Veterans Day. Student council adviser Becca Schwertfeger said she encourages middle school students to bring a veteran to the breakfast.

“Students are asked to bring in a veteran. They could be a family member, a family friend or a neighbor. Just bring them in,” Schwertfeger said.

Following the breakfast, a short Veterans Day assembly will take place at 9 a.m. to honor the veterans in attendance.

“Some students will speak. We bring in past veterans and current active duty members, and we celebrate them and appreciate their sacrifices,” she said.

One of the students who will speak at the event is St. Clairsville High School senior Jesse Baker. Baker isn’t a part of any club or group participating in the assembly but said she felt the need to be involved because she believes that veterans deserve the highest and utmost respect.

“They have shown unparalleled bravery and commitment, often putting their lives on the line for the greater good,” she said. “Recognizing and appreciating their service is crucial, not only through ceremonies and memorials but also by providing them with the support and resources they need upon returning to civilian life.”

She added that she believes once a veteran returns to civilian life, they should be entitled to access to health care, education, employment opportunities and mental health services.

“Honoring veterans means acknowledging their sacrifices and ensuring that they receive the respect and care that they have rightfully earned,” Baker said.

The St. Clairsville Police Department will be teaming up with the student council to hand out goodie bags to veterans.

Police Officer Greg Clark said that if a veteran is not able to attend the assembly, they can reach out to the mayor’s office at 740-695-1324 to arrange for an officer to drop off a goodie bag to them. Schwertfeger is Clark’s daughter so the partnership between the school and police department was an easy match. Clark said that he believes the program has grown each year since Schwertfeger took over the responsibility of handling the event.

Schwertfeger’s grandfather Gary Clark is a Vietnam veteran – a fact that was the driving force behind her wanting to start handing out gift bags. She began distributing goodie bags to the veterans at the breakfast event in 2018. The bags contain treats such as cookies, candies, water bottles and knick knacks that were donated by students and members of the community.

In addition to the breakfast, assembly and goodie bags Schwertfeger also does a Wall of Honor.

“I started doing the wall in 2018, and it started with maybe 100 pictures and it has grown to over 650 pictures,” Schwertfeger said. “I make a post on Facebook and ask if anybody knows a veteran to please send me their picture, and all I’ll need is their name and their branch of service and I’ll put it on the wall.”

She added that the wall is not just limited to Ohio Valley residents.

“We have veterans from all over the country, out in California, Florida, and people who are currently stationed overseas, so it’s a mixture and a really cool experience,” Schwertfeger said.