Seven Chapel Hill students, all members of the Columbian Squires youth group at St. Thomas More Catholic Church, traveled to the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Va., June 6-7 to participate in the memorial’s D-Day commemoration and deliver $1,500 to support the memorial.
The students raised money for the memorial after learning of its financial difficulties, and presented a check to the memorial’s foundation. The memorial is 10 years old and has been fighting to raise money to keep its doors open. Students raised money by purchasing potted plants for resale and donating cash. Several local World War II veterans, including Jerry Pilarski, Gene Drogos and Louise Drogos, made the trip with the students.