Tony Drees is an Adaptive Athlete Champion, Purple Heart Amputee, a motivational speaker, and the father to graduates of Cherry Creek Schools. In 2018, Drees’ leg was amputated after his barracks was struck by the “Deadliest Scud Missile of the Iraqi War.”
On Saturday, October 5 at Cherry Creek Schools’ annual Military and Veteran Appreciation Celebration, Drees was wrapped in a Quilt of Valor, alongside his dog, Diva, to honor his courage and sacrifice.
“Many times people come up to me and they say, I served but I didn't get to be deployed, and you can hear their disappointment. Or, I served but I didn’t give as much of a sacrifice as you did, and you hear their disappointment,” said Drees. “What I’m here to say is, it doesn’t matter in what capacity you serve. What matters is that you went up and signed your name on the dotted line, or that you raised your hand to represent and protect our country. And for that, I can never have enough gratitude for you. And to those of you who wanted to serve, but weren’t able to and were tenacious enough to serve as a civilian, I have the utmost respect for you.”
Drees was one of hundreds of veterans and military members honored at the celebration this Saturday.
The day began with a luncheon feeding over 400 people, featuring remarks from Superintendent Christopher Smith, “We would not be able to do what we do in our school district if it wasn't for the sacrifices you give to us. The sacrifices of your family, the sacrifices of your time, and sometimes the sacrifices of your family and friends who didn’t return home. That does not go unnoticed in the Cherry Creek School District. That is why we do what we do every year.”
Following Superintendent Smith, Lt. General Mark Schwartz spoke about the importance of honoring our military, “You don't see too many school districts that embrace the service the way Cherry Creek Schools does. Today is a great example of what we need more of across our nation.”
The luncheon also included an Honor Bell presentation, a POW/MIA Table presentation, a Military Child’s Table Setting presentation, and the Quilts of Valor Wrapping Ceremony in honor of Tony Drees.
“Seeing Cherry Creek Schools show up with this kind of passion for the military has rekindled a spark in me, and I want to know how I can be involved in making this thing greater,” Drees said.
After the luncheon, everyone was invited to a community fair where the 101st Army Brass Band played, students and families could explore a Black Hawk helicopter, try on a bomb suit, and see how many pull-ups they could do, along with several other games and booths to explore.
The culmination of the celebration was a football game between Cherokee Trail and Cherry Creek High School. A helicopter fly-over and the playing of Taps kicked off the game.
Players honored the military by wearing special red, white, and blue jerseys with the words, “Honor,” “Pride,” “Integrity,” and 
“Bravery.”
