Photo by Rob Wills, The Northfield News Kathleen Lott, left, Advertising Director for the Northfield News presents a check for $100 to Graham O'Donahoe, Commander of Sorrell Maynard Post No 63, American Legion. This represents the profits from the Veterans Tribute sponsored by many local merchants, manufacturers and Norwich which appeared in the News last week. As an unfortunate consequence of Operation Iraqi Freedom and America's war on terror, many children of our active-duty military personnel are now members of single-parent families. In most cases, this also means their chances to attend college have greatly diminished.

More importantly, children of military personnel killed on active duty are entitled to receive money toward a college education. But it's not enough to pay for a four year college education.

To help alleviate this problem, the American Legion has set up a fund to assure that higher education will become a reality for these families.

Last week, the Northfield News paid tribute to our veterans, a tribute which was sponsored by many of our local merchants, manufacturers, Norwich University and concerned citizens.

The profit from the monies raised from this tribute have been contributed to the American Legion by the News.

Kathleen Morrow Bock, advertising director, met with Graham O'Donahoe, Commander of Sorrell Maynard Post No. 63 of the American Legion to present a check for $100 for the American Legion Legacy Scholarship Fund.

"We are raising funds to ensure that higher education will be a reality for these families," said Mr. O'Donahoe. "Providing for the children our military personnel left behind is our civic duty," he explained.

"An education is a powerful way to show our thanks. That is why we have established the American Legion Legacy Scholarship Fund," he said.

According to the Legion, the total survivor benefit for these children is slightly more than $37,000 to be used for a college education. In today's dollars, this benefit will pay little more than half of what a college education costs in the most affordable situation, they explain. This gap widens when considering the cost of a college education in the future. The most conservative estimate is that costs will increase by 5 percent per year, meaning that in 16 years, the most affordable college education will be $105,800. Military compensation will not keep up with these dramatic increases. For that reason, the News decided to make a contribution to the Legion to help in a small way to help to defray the ever rising cost of education said Mrs. Bock.