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Earlier this semester, members of the Patriotic Club at Holy Redeemer High School in Wilkes-Barre looked for a way to show area veterans they&rsquo;re thankful for the sacrifices the military men and women made, and the risks they&rsquo;ve taken.
				&ldquo;The risk is much greater than you think,&rdquo; said 14-year-old freshman Max Filchak, of Laflin, who has thought seriously about the dangers of military service because he intends to join the U.S. Air Force.
				His 20-year-old sister, Julia, is already serving in the U.S. Navy, and in honor of her service the Filchak family enthusaistically joined the Patriotic Club&rsquo;s effort and donated numerous personal care products to the VA Medical Center.
				Other members of the Patriotic Club also collected such thoughtful items as shampoo, conditioner, shaving cream, deodorant, body wash, toothbrushes, toothpaste, denture cream and cleanser.
				And, Patriotic Club advisor Holly Hicks reported, a &ldquo;dress down day&rdquo; at the school brought in $867 in cash, which the club also donated to the VA.
				Joining forces with the American Legion&rsquo;s Wilkes Barre Township Post 815 and Ashley Post 673, Hicks said, &ldquo;We filled an entire van full of donations.&rdquo;
				The items were delivered to the VA the week before Thanksgiving.
				&ldquo;It feels really good when you&rsquo;re helping others,&rdquo; said Holy Redeemer senior Owen Martin, 18, who joined the Patriotic Club &ldquo;as a way to get to know people better&rdquo; and then realized there were added benefits. &ldquo;It makes you feel like a better person in general. It makes you think, maybe I could do a lot more for this community.&rdquo;
				Freshman Max Filchak is paying perhaps the ultimate compliment to the veterans; he wants to follow in their footsteps, which also means he would follow in the footsteps of several family members.
				&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not just my sister,&rdquo; he said in a telephone interview. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve had two grandfathers, two uncles and two cousins in the military.&rdquo;
				With a strong interest in aviation, he believes &ldquo;the Air Force is the proper fit for me.&rdquo;
				Max&rsquo;s sister, Julia, is home on leave after months serving aboard an aircraft carrier. He missed spending time with her while she was deployed, because the siblings are close. &ldquo;We like going hunting, ATV riding; we like our boat and motorsports,&rdquo; he said.
				But he&rsquo;s proud of her for serving her country, and wants to do the same &mdash; even though he&rsquo;s well aware of the potential danger.
				&ldquo;I do have that fear,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;But they fight for what they love and I would like to do the same.&rdquo;

‘They fight for what they love’