‘Our Goal Is to Continue to Positively Show Up’

For the past nine years, VFW Post 311’s emphasis on higher education has led to more than $30,000 in scholarships awarded to high school seniors with family ties to veterans in Richton Park, Illinois.

What began in August 2014 with three $1,000 scholarships, the Benjamin O. Davis Post 311 Commander’s Scholarship program has since awarded up to six $1,000 scholarships a year to more than 30 recipients.

“It’s our way of giving back to the descendants of veterans and helping our future leaders,” VFW Post 311 Commander Aretha Spurlock said. “We want to show the community and our young adults that we are still here serving in a positive way. Maybe this inspires them to go on and join the military, or maybe it leads them to support veterans in some capacity.”