Knox County Career Center’s (KCCC) Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) has partnered with the City of Mount Vernon and Ariel Foundation Park to bring “Servitus 2024” to the community, a day of celebrating those who serve.

The public is invited to join on Saturday, Oct. 12 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Ariel Foundation Park (10 Pittsburgh Avenue) as we bring families together to celebrate those who serve others. There will be vendors, food trucks, and military displays and more. In addition, the KCCC’s JROTC will host other JROTC units for a fitness competition in the park. JROTC’s cadets will be competing against students from 29 other teams from Ohio and Pennsylvania in a tower climb, Army Humvee pull, and obstacle courses. The public is encouraged to come watch the cadets compete and cheer them on.

“We are looking forward to celebrating SERVITUS 2024 with the community this year. The word servitus was derived from the Latin root word for servant or someone who serves others, and it matches our purpose for this day. SERVITUS aims to celebrate those who serve others, educate the next generation on what it means to live a life of humble service, and encourage people to start living that life today. Whether that life is serving in uniform as a military member, serving locally as a first responder, or serving as a volunteer for a civic organization, no act of serving others is too small. SERVITUS aims to build a commitment to service into the fiber of our community. This characteristic would be a unique strength of our community and bind us together like a braided rope that is stronger than its many parts once woven together. If successful, SERVITUS 2024 will plant a seed of hope in future generations who recognize it is better to serve others rather than be served, whether that service is large or small, full-time professional or part-time volunteer. That seed planted today will be the oak tree we find shelter under in the future,” said Col. Chris Salvucci, KCCC's JROTC senior aerospace science instructor.

Salvucci added, “What began 10 years ago as a small fitness competition has expanded to a multi-state competition involving 29 teams and over 400 cadets. This year, as the students are learning about teamwork, self-sacrifice, and supporting others on the field of competition, we will add opportunities for them to meet and speak with people who have dedicated their lives to serving others. Hopefully, they will find the link between their small efforts and sacrifices during the day and the more significant efforts and sacrifices made by those who serve in a profession of service. The community will also be able to interact with these service-driven individuals and organizations throughout the day, expanding the outreach of our efforts beyond the JROTC program. In the end, we hope to build a stronger community and country by celebrating those who serve, learning from them, and taking encouragement from their actions that will set all of us in motion as SERVITUS or servants for others."