LARGO — Seven military veterans from the Tampa Bay area were honored March 7 at Victory Fellowship Church during the first in a planned series of community recognition events hosted by The Chrysalis Vision nonprofit.
Veterans Appreciation Night, organized by Chrysalis Vision founder and CEO Joan SittingBull, drew nominees from Largo, St. Petersburg, Clearwater Beach and as far away as Winter Haven for an evening of speeches, performances and awards at the church at 380 Fulton Drive SE.
“The Chrysalis Vision’s motto is a strong family, strong youth and strong nation, which is what this country is all about,” SittingBull said as she welcomed the veterans and their families. “And without our veterans making these sacrifices for us, we wouldn’t have any of those things.”
The ceremony opened with a video on the history of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” followed by a rendition of the national anthem. Members of the Chinese Martial Arts Center in Seminole gave a demonstration meant to showcase discipline and respect before Navy veteran Cliff Sullivan, filling in as emcee, took the stage.
“We all deserve to be honored all the time,” the New Hampshire native said. “But tonight is a special night as we recognize these veterans who put their lives on the line for this country.”
Sullivan urged the crowd to remember service members currently deployed and those who came before them.
The seven honorees then stepped onto the stage to receive their awards, and Sullivan announced several other veterans by name.
David L. Bryant, a 20-year Army veteran who drove up from Winter Haven, praised the organizers afterward.
“I think it’s great that they did this,” Bryant said.
Victory Fellowship Pastor Michael Carter said he was happy to open the church for the event and would do the same for any charitable organization looking to host a community gathering.
“We love to do things here on Fridays, a day people are not typically in church,” Carter said, adding that he wants Victory Fellowship “to be a neighborhood community enrichment center,” because “churches nationwide represent some of the largest underutilized collection of real estate during the week.”
Carter said his church’s weekly Friday Food Ministry, which distributes about 350 meals a week, serves many veterans.
“I feed so many veterans and see the pain and suffering they go through, and I think it’s appalling,” he said. “So any way we can honor them, they always get top priority.”
SittingBull said the collaboration between the church, the martial arts studio and her organization was confirmation of its mission. The Chrysalis Vision describes itself on its website as a nonprofit think tank focused on creating change through programs that address community needs.
She called the March 7 event “phase one,” focused on honoring veterans. Future events will include first responders and other community contributors.
“We just want to make sure these people get the proper honor, respect and recognition they deserve, all the time,” she said. “Not just a handful of days a year.”
For more information, visit thechrysalisvision.com.