From now until Thursday, April 11, the Hudson Valley Community College Veteran Resource And Outreach Center (VETROC) will be collecting cans and bottles help raise money for the Casey Frankoski Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Frankoski, 28, of Rensselaer, a Chief Warrant Officer in the New York National Guard, was killed on March 8, 2024 when a UH-72 Lakota helicopter assigned to help US Customs and Border Patrol agents on the southwest border crashed during aviation operations near Rio Grande City, 41 miles west of McAllen, Texas. Chief Warrant Officer 2 John Grassia, 30, also of Rensselaer, and US Border Patrol Agent Chris Luna, 49, were also killed in the crash. Sergeant Jacob Pratt of Rensselaer is still in the hospital after the crash, and is expected to recover from his injuries.
Donations can be dropped off at the VETROC office, Siek Campus Center, room 164. For more information, contact the VETROC at (518) 629-7051 or vroc@hvcc.edu.