The Eastwick Press Newspaper

Eastern Rensselaer County's Community Newspaper

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Two Rensselaer County Wounded Warriors Honored

By Doug La Rocque

For the 15th year, the Stride Wounded Warrior program has put together a weekend full of events to honor and say thanks to area veterans who have given so much in defense of their country. This year’s program began on Friday, March 6, with a tour of the new Stride facilities in West Sand Lake, followed by the annual Snowfest Welcome and Awards Ceremony, held this year at Troy’s Hilton Garden Inn.  

Shown here are Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin, SSGT Blair Sass, Assemblyman Jake Ashby and SFC Sherwood Palitsch III. Both Ms. Sass and Mr. Palitsch were honored along with other wounded warriors at the annual Stride Snowfest event. Photo by Doug La Rocque

The evening saw 13 service men and woman receive the folded American Flag in a wooden case, and commendations from a number of area elected officials, including Congressman Paul Tonko, Assemblyman Jake Ashby and Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin.

Among the 13 were Staff Sergeant Blair Sass of Hoosick Falls and Sergeant First Class Sherwood Palitsch III of West Sand Lake, and originally from Grafton. SFC Palitsch spent 26 years in the New York Army National Guard as a combat medic, with deployment to the Middle East.

SSGT Sass has spent 14 years with the Air Force, working with the National Science Foundation in Antarctica and Greenland.

Following Friday night’s dinner, all the veterans and their families were invited to spend two days skiing and participating in other winter sports at Jiminy Peak in Hancock, Mass.

Founded in 1985 by Mary Ellen Whitney, Stride educates and empowers individuals with special needs in life-changing sport and recreation programs to sustain healthy, active and fun lifestyles.