Service Runs Deep How Emporia and Lyon County State Bank Honor Veterans By Brianna Hull, AVP — Communications and Marketing, KBA Emporia, Kansas, proudly holds the title of the Founding City of Veterans Day, a legacy rooted in local conviction and national recognition. In 1953, Emporia resident Alvin J. King proposed changing Armistice Day to Veterans Day so that all U.S. veterans, from every war and conflict, would be honored. With support from Congressman Ed Rees, that idea became federal law in 1954, and in 2003, Congress formally declared Emporia as the founding city of the holiday. That tradition of service continues today through Freedom Fest, Emporia’s annual Veterans Day celebration honoring service and sacrifice through community participation. Among the organizations proudly supporting the event is Lyon County State Bank (LCSB). This trusted hometown community bank has served Emporia since 1913 and built a reputation for unwavering community commitment. Each year, LCSB not only sponsors Freedom Fest’s Freedom Ride, 5K Run and family activities, but also honors veterans through its Veteran Banner Program, which displays dozens of local heroes on the bank’s building at no cost to families. The bank’s dedication goes beyond banners, from distributing Veteran Challenge Coins and maintaining a community billboard thanking all who served, to sponsoring the USD 252 Honor Flight Program, The Wall That Heals traveling Vietnam Memorial and the Wreaths Across America initiative that places wreaths on local veterans’ graves during the holidays. Through both financial support and hands-on volunteerism, LCSB’s employees exemplify the bank’s mission of “Building Friends, Families and Futures,” living proof that Emporia’s spirit of service still runs deep. For Russell “Rusty/Russ” Bonitatibus, Jr., Senior Vice President at Lyon County State Bank and a proud U.S. Navy veteran, Freedom Fest is more than an event. It’s a reflection of community pride and a personal reminder of his own journey of service. Originally from Milford, Connecticut, Russ enlisted in the Navy in 1981 at just 17 years old, inspired by the sight of ships sailing through Long Island Sound near his childhood home. After completing boot camp at Great Lakes, Illinois, he trained at the Shipboard School in Norfolk, Virginia, where he once helped secure old battleships during a coastal storm, an early glimpse into the hands-on work of naval service. He was later assigned to the USS Saratoga (CV-60), a Forrestal-class aircraft carrier then undergoing overhaul at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. Russ Lyon County State Bank proudly honors local veterans. The bank’s Emporia location features banners recognizing community members who have served, including Kansas banker Russell “Rusty” Bonitatibus, Jr., a U.S. Navy and Army National Guard veteran. LCSB in Emporia, Kansas Russ Bonitatibus and the LCSB Cycling Ambassadors before the Freedom Fest 20 Mile USD252 Honor Flight Ride Russ Bonitatibus welcomes all cyclists to the Lyon County State Bank-sponsored Freedom Fest 20 Mile USD252 Honor Flight Ride in Emporia. 20
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