For Immediate Release
November 18, 2011
Contact: Lee Allen
(202) 393-0090 Ext. 109
 

Michigan Teacher Receives “Hometown Heroes Award”

Washington, DC – Lisa Lark, a Michigan schoolteacher and long-time Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) volunteer, received the inaugural “Hometown Heroes” Award at VVMF’s Build The Center Benefit on November 11, an event to raise support and awareness for the construction of the new Education Center at the Wall, a place on our National Mall where our military heroes’ stories and sacrifices will never be forgotten.

The Hometown Heroes Award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated exceptional dedication to gathering information, remembrances, and photographs of those whose names are on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The award is a foundational part of the Hometown Heroes Project, created as a partnership between VVMF and HISTORY to encourage teachers and students across the nation to connect with veterans and family-members, and to help communities remember and honor those who served in Vietnam.

Lisa Lark, a native of Dearborn, Michigan, originally set out to collect photographs of the 23 fallen service-members from Edsel Ford High School, where she teaches.  What began as a class project turned into an effort to collect the all the photographs from her hometown, and eventually seek to compile all 2,663 photographs from the state of Michigan. In addition, Ms. Lark has expanded her photo search to include the states of Indiana, Vermont, and Ohio.

“Since I began this project, I’ve been privileged and honored to speak with wives and girlfriends, sisters and brothers, sons and daughters of the men and women whose names appear on that wall,” commented Lark upon receiving the award. “For me, it has become not a question of ‘How can I honor the men and women who served in Vietnam?’ Instead, it’s a question of ‘How much can I honor them?’”

“Ms. Lark’s dedication to preserving the memories of fallen service-members in Vietnam has been a source of inspiration for many, and continues to rally support for the Education Center at the Wall, scheduled to break ground next Veterans Day,” said Jan Scruggs, Founder and President of VVMF.  Her work has inspired many volunteers to devote their time, effort, and determination to collecting and submitting photographs and remembrances for the Education Center and VVMF’s Virtual Wall. 

Scruggs continues, “Lisa has proven to be one of VVMF’s greatest assets. Her help ensures that our military heroes are honored for generations to come.”

VVMF thanks Lisa Lark for her tireless dedication, and looks forward to her partnership as the construction of the Education Center nears its launch.

About VVMF and the Education Center at the Wall

The Education Center at The Wall is a place on our National Mall where our military heroes' stories and sacrifice will never be forgotten. With a groundbreaking planned for November 2012, the Education Center at The Wall is a multi-million dollar, state-of- the-art visitor’s center and learning facility to be built on the grounds of the Vietnam Veterans and the Lincoln Memorials. Visitors will better understand the profound impact the Vietnam War had their friends and family members, their home towns, and the Nation. The Education Center will feature the faces and stories of the 58,272 men and women on “The Wall,” honoring those who fell in Vietnam, those who fought and returned, as well as the friends and families of all who served. For more information, visit www.buildthecenter.org.

Established in 1979, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund is dedicated to preserving the legacy of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., promoting healing and educating about the impact of the Vietnam War.

Support the Education Center at The Wall by visiting www.buildthecenter.org, calling 866-990-WALL, or by texting "WALL" to 2022.

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