Laurens Electric Cooperative’s October recipient of the employee Pay it Forward funds is Lineman TJ Burke.
TJ paid forward $500 to the Laurens County Veterans Affairs office Hall of Heroes program.
Now in its 13th year, Hall of Heroes honors Laurens County veterans with an honorable discharge. Each year inductees attend a military ceremony at which they present their achievements as the program displays personalized shadow boxes with members’ service awards and decorations. Each shadow box remains on display for a year at the Hillcrest Courthouse Annex in Laurens.
The Hall of Heroes program is not funded by the state or county. Laurens County raises money each year to put on the program, which costs $1500 to $2000 per year.
TJ said, “Any time I can help honor a veteran I’ll do it. They’re the reason why we are a free country today.”
TJ also has a personal connection to the program, as his mother, Rosalind Burke is the Office Manager at Greenwood County Veterans Affairs Office.
Rosalind said, “The Hall of Heroes program is about treating our veterans with love, respect, and honor.”