Round Lake Area Exchange Club announces March Hometown Hero

The Round Lake Area Exchange Club has announced that the March Hometown Hero is U.S. Marine Pfc. James Geraghty of Fox Lake.

Geraghty is a 2011 graduate of Grant High School. Geraghty was registered for this honor by his aunt, Cynthia Tomusiak also of Fox Lake.

The sponsor of this month’s award is Constance Collins, superintendent of Round Lake Area Unit District 116.

Geraghty is training to be tow gunner and will be at Camp Pendleton, Calif. for at least the next 17 months. He has earned the National Defense Service Medal and Expert Rifleman.

Hometown Hero Project Chairwoman Sherry Ridge will fill his “Hanging with the Heroes” care package with beef jerky, cashews, chocolate, power bars, and with the help of Collins, a variety of DVD movies.

All “Hanging with the Heroes” care packages are delivered with a personalized “Hanging with the Heroes” T-shirt (donated by Artrageous of Hainesville), a piece home and letters from District 116 students. Postage for sending the care package is covered by a donation to the Hometown Hero project made by Avon Township.

The club will present a plaque on behalf of the March Hometown Hero to his family at their meeting on March 28. The meeting is at Panera Bread in Round Lake Beach, 7:30 a.m. and is open to the public.

Any and all military personnel serving overseas or in the USA from any of the Round Lake area communities, Hainesville, Fox Lake or Ingleside qualify for the program.

If you have a neighbor, family member, friend, employee, employer, etc. serving in the military register them by going to www.rlaexchange.org/hero.

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