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NYSID to dedicate new 'Battle Buddy Center' in Canton

Posted 4/26/16

CANTON -- New York State Industries for the Disabled, Inc. (NYSID) will dedicate its newest Battle Buddy Center at noon on Thursday, April 28 at SUNY Canton, in collaboration with St. Lawrence …

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NYSID to dedicate new 'Battle Buddy Center' in Canton

Posted

CANTON -- New York State Industries for the Disabled, Inc. (NYSID) will dedicate its newest Battle Buddy Center at noon on Thursday, April 28 at SUNY Canton, in collaboration with St. Lawrence NYSARC.

The event takes place in the Richard W. Miller Campus Center, Theater, 34 Cornell Dr., on SUNY Canton’s campus.

Among those scheduled to participate in the Battle Buddy Center dedication ceremony:

• Paul Quirini, NYSID outreach & communications specialist, on behalf of Ron Romano, NYSID president & CEO

• Zvi Szafran, SUNY Canton president

• Douglas Scheidt, SUNY Canton provost/vice president for academic affairs

• Daphne Pickert, St. Lawrence NYSARC CEO/executive director

• Student veterans from SUNY Canton

Battle Buddy Centers are safe havens for veterans to socialize with their fellow veterans and receive services they need. Based on the military concept of a "Battle Buddy," which partners soldiers to assist each other both in and out of combat, Battle Buddy Centers offer activities to encourage camaraderie and foster veterans to give and receive mutual support.

"Veterans have played an important part in the history of SUNY Canton, and we pride ourselves in offering educational opportunities for individuals who serve, or have served, in the armed forces,” said SUNY Canton President Zvi Szafran. “The ability to enhance our center for support will help us to better meet our standing mission to aid veterans and their families with a successful transition from active duty, through education, and into their chosen civilian career."

Through this Battle Buddy Center, NYSID, St. Lawrence NYSARC and SUNY Canton provide a space for more than 120 veteran students, National Guard/Reserve Students, active duty students and their dependents to study, socialize with one another, and receive services they need.

The College's Military & Veterans Services Office is adjacent to the Battle Buddy Center, increasing the office's visibility and enabling students to utilize the services provided.

"As a Preferred Source partner of NYSID, St. Lawrence NYSARC is proud to collaborate with SUNY Canton in the dedication of this Battle Buddy Center,” Daphne Pickert, St. Lawrence NYSARC CEO/executive director, said. “We look forward to helping local veterans with disabilities gain successful employment through our Career Opportunities program. We also want our veterans to know that St. Lawrence NYSARC provides a diverse support system for children, young adults, and adults with disabilities."

With an active Student Veterans Association, a full-time Military & Veterans Student Services Coordinator, and two VA funded work-study students, this Battle Buddy Center provides a much-needed space for student veterans to call their own, while remaining an integral component of the student population on campus.