Folds of Honor Partnership
A Tribute to Our Heroes
"Honoring the sacrifices many have made for our country in the name of freedom and democracy is the very foundation of Veterans Day." - Charles B. Rangel
The grandson of an American veteran, principal and head baseball coach Casey Martin has long felt the need to do more for our country's servicemen and women. Serving a school that implores its students to "be more,” Martin put hopes and wishes into actions and results.
Beginning in 2019, Martin established a partnership with Folds of Honor to raise money for the families of fallen and disabled service members. Proceeds raised through Folds of Honor provide educational scholarships to spouses and children of those service members.
"I can think of no cause more worthy for Veterans Day," Martin said back in the fall of 2019.
Martin parlayed his passion for baseball with patriotism in designing the Blazers official 2020 game hat. The New Era cap featured Marquette's unique "MQTT" logo with the colors of the American Flag. The synergy was a home run.
Originally, he hoped to sell 50. Once the Marquette and Northwest Indiana communities jumped on board, he adjusted the goal to 100. Word continued to spread like wildfire, and the final order was for 150 hats. As a result, Martin was able to present Folds of Honor with both a $2,000 check and a plaque during a November 11th presentation held on campus.
While COVID-19 presented myriad challenges to schools nationwide, it did not prevent Martin and Marquette from honoring their commitment to Folds of Honor. For the 2020 campaign, Martin designed patriotic-themed pullovers. With collaboration from Notre Dame Catholic School in Michigan City, Marquette delivered a $1,350 check to its partner.
Marquette wishes to recognize all service members in our extended community for their courage and sacrifice. We intend to provide support year-round for this most important part of our population - not just on Veterans Day. Our students, teachers, and staff are committed to respecting and recognizing the enormous sacrifice made by United States service members.
On November 10th, 2021, Marquette was honored to be recognized as a Purple Star School by the Indiana Department of Education.