Academy Hill School students receive special thanks: ‘In this community, it’s meaningful’

WILTON – Academy Hill School students received a very special thank you on Monday after raising a whopping $2,000.

The fund-raising work was one of the six-week Acts of Kindness projects the entire school participates in each spring.

While each grade designed their own projects, the two fourth-grade classes at the school went about fund raising for the Travis Mills Foundation, which is working to renovate the former Elizabeth Arden estate in Rome as an accessible retreat for wounded veterans on the mend and their families. Since many of the students have ties to veterans, they decided to support the foundation as their act of kindness.

To raise the funding, the classes hosted a throw-a-thon, in which students at the school earned pledged funds by throwing tennis balls into a distant container.

On Monday afternoon, Travis Mills arrived to thank the students for their donation to his foundation and answered many questions from the inquiring minds of elementary students. Mills, a U.S. Army staff sergeant of the 82nd Airborne, was critically injured on April 10, 2012 during his third tour of duty in Afghanistan by an improvised explosive device while out on patrol. He lost portions of both legs and arms. He is one of only five quadruple amputees from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to survive his injuries.

“This is a really, really special day for us,” fourth-grade teacher Brenda LaVerdiere told the students assembled. Mills of Manchester, began by telling the students that he just flew in on his jet-pack legs to visit them.

“Iron Man is a friend of mine,” Mills said with a wide grin and the students giggled. He then thanked them for their donation and explained that once the camp is open, veterans who were injured in the war and their families can stay and “we’ll show them they can still live life to the fullest.”

Then the students started asking questions. One wanted to know how he was injured.

“I had a bad day at work,” Mills quipped. “I stepped on something I shouldn’t have in Afghanistan.” He demonstrated how his prosthetic arm works and said that “my legs are waterproof so I can go in the water whenever I want to.” Then, he added, “Oh, I guess you can do that too.”

After a few more question, a student sitting near the front raised her hand and quietly said, “I’m happy you’re still alive.”

“I’m here to tell you life does go on,” Mills said smiling at her.

He said after the assembly, the renovation work on the camp is in full swing now. The all-volunteer effort by the foundation has raised about $1.5 million of the $2.7 million needed. If all goes according to plans the camp should be open in the summer of 2017, he said, adding the school’s donation is significant and he wanted to thank them personally.

As the students posed for a photograph with Mills, LaVerdiere said of the large donation raised by students: “In this community, it’s meaningful.”

Find out more about Travis Mills Foundation here.