Honoring veterans through art and education

The sound of plastic bottle caps echoed in the community room of the Glen Cove Library Saturday morning as volunteers sifted through eight, five-gallon buckets, filled to the brim, to offer their hand for a unique art project aimed at honoring local veterans.

All in the name of creating “CAPS for HOPE,” this community-based mural, spearheaded by Glen Cove Librarian Lydia Wen, artist in residence Amanda Fisk, and veteran Mike Danchalski, aims to pay tribute to Glen Cove veterans through the transformative power of art.

The wood four-panel mosaic, crafted by Danchalski, and created from these bottle caps, which spells the word “hope” will serve as a traveling exhibit, with its first stop at the Glen Cove Public Library for a month before heading to the senior center. Wen highlighted the interactive nature of the project, which also encouraged the community to donate used bottle caps from January to the end of February. The project seeks to foster inclusivity and unity while raising awareness about environmental conservation.

But that’s not all. The Glen Cove Public Library and the Veterans Services Department are teaming up to offer additional avenues for recognizing veterans’ service to the country and Glen Cove. This year’s military tribute banners, which will adorn lampposts in Morgan Park from Memorial Day through Veterans Day, have already sold out. However, an online exhibit of previous banners remains available on the library’s website.

A third project the library is overseeing involves two essay contests aimed at middle and high school students. Last year marked the introduction of the two essay contests. The first contest, called Liberty’s Torch, was available to sixth- through eighth graders, who were tasked with writing about lessons they had learned from a veteran. Mia DiFrancisco, a seventh grader at the Finley Middle School, took first place. In the second contest, Echoes of Freedom, Glen Cove High School students wrote about what it means to serve their country, and freshman Michael Renga won first place.

This year, the tradition continues. The subject for Liberty’s Torch is, once again, lessons students have learned from a veteran, while Echoes of Freedom asks why the Pledge of Allegiance is important.

Submissions for both contests are due by April 30, and the first-place prize is $250. The winning essays will be presented on May 26, when the banners are unveiled at Morgan Memorial Park.

Tony Jimenez, a Vietnam War veteran, expressed his enthusiasm for seeing the city’s youth and veterans collaborate on such inspiring projects. He believes these initiatives not only demonstrate appreciation for veterans but also provide valuable educational opportunities for the city’s youth.

“It’s a can’t lose,” Jimenez remarked. “Hope for the future is universal.”