CHARLIE VITCHERS
(Nominated by Denny Deters)
Pike County Museum at the Columns & Delaware Valley High School
February 12, 2011
I first met Charlie in August of 2009 when he came to the Little Sioux Scout Ranch in Western Iowa to oversee the construction of the Chapel that the New York Says Thank You Foundation and 500 volunteers built. The camp was hit with an EF3 tornado in June of 2008 that killed for young scouts. I had the privilege of working with Charlie on that project and came to know him and his work with the New York Says Thank You Foundation through this project. During the days following the collapse of the Towers on 9/11, Charlie had construction workers retrieve an American Flag hanging, tattered and torn from the scaffolding on the front of 90 West Street, a building heavily damaged by the destruction of the Twin Towers. The flag that Charlie will place a stitch in today is that Flag which he brought to Greenburg, Kansas to begin the wonderful process of bringing it back to life. Charlie is one of the kindest, most humble persons I have ever had the privilege of knowing. With the unimaginable destruction, loss of life and emotional strain of his work at Ground Zero following 9/11, Charlie still can devote many hours to helping other people in their time of need. His work with the New York Says Thank You Foundation and other charities, certainly earns him the privilege of placing a stitch in the Flag. (Pictured: Charlie Vitchers, his mother, Jean, and sister Veronica)
