Round Lake area club names Antioch soldier its Hometown Hero

The Round Lake Area Exchange Club Hometown Hero Committee is proud to announce U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Craig Kanya Jr. as its September hero.

This month's sponsor is Trustee Judy Armstrong of Round Lake Beach.

Kanya, a resident of Round Lake Beach and a 2009 Antioch High School graduate, was registered at the club's site, www.rlaexchange.org/hero, by his father, Craig Kanya of Antioch.

Kanya is currently stationed at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, also known as 29 Palms. It is located in California and is the United States Marine Corps' largest base.

He has been in the Marines for more than two years and served a tour of duty on the U.S. Essex aircraft carrier in the Indian Ocean. His honors include Marine sharp shooter and squadron leader.

Hometown Hero Project Chairman Sherry Ridge said Kanya's “Hanging with the Heroes” care package will be filled with Pretzel M&M's, Jolly Ranchers, sweets, a personalized “Hanging with the Heroes” T-shirt, and letters from Round Lake Area School District 116 students.

His family is very proud of him and his mother, Michelle, shared that he will be deploying to Afghanistan in March and said, “Not something I am looking forward to, but I know that he has chosen to make American's safety a priority in his life.”

The club will present a plaque on behalf of the September Hometown Hero to his family at their meeting on Sept. 14. The meeting is at Panera Bread in Round Lake Beach, 7:30 a.m.

Any and all military personnel serving overseas or in the USA from any of the Round Lake areas, Hainesville, Fox Lake or Ingleside qualify for the program. Five minutes will get them registered. If you have a neighbor, family member, friend, employee, employer, etc. serving in the military please register them by going to www.rlaexchange.org/hero.

For more information, visit the website or you can contact Sherry Ridge at (847) 740-2379.