This past Friday, November 8, 2019, the Ben Jackson Foundation presented four young people with Military Travel Awards. These awards are a commitment to help them with travel expenses when they make a visit home to see family and friends.

Two of the awardees were present at the event, and two had family members accept the award for them.

Nina Schiro, New Glarus Class of 2019, has enlisted in the Wisconsin Air National Guard, and Ty Varney, Belleville Class of 2017, has enlisted in the Marine Corps. Varney will go to Camp Pendleton in San Diego for basic training in January, while Schiro leaves for Lackland Air Force Base in March.

Two other awardees were not present as they are already serving in the military. Jackson O'Connell graduated from Wisconsin Heights in 2018 and is currently stationed in California as an infantryman. The final awardee, Harmon Garvoille, a 2018 graduate from Albany, is stationed in South Korea as a Chinook helicopter mechanic.

O'Connell's mother, Suzanne, accepted his award on his behalf. O'Connell is planning to come home to Wisconsin over Christmas. Garvoille asked his family to accept his award and is hoping to come home in the Spring.

The Trivia Night also served as a fundraising event. Money raised that evening, along with a recent GoFundMe campaign, allowed the Foundation to expand and support seven additional communities, bringing the total to 22.