Commitment to excellence award

In 2022, the Fort Henry Guard faced its biggest challenge in more than 70 years.  After two years of working with a significantly reduced staff, the Guard had to be almost completely rebuilt with mostly new members.  As has been the case for decades, Fort Henry relied on returning staff to provide stability, and to pass on their knowledge and experience to the dozens of new recruits.

A small group of just 16 returning staff did a remarkable job leading and inspiring that year’s Guard, and without their dedication and perseverance, it’s hard to imagine that the Guard would have returned as quickly, and a strongly, as it did that summer, which culminated in two fantastic Sunset Ceremonies.

In recognition of the importance of returning Guard, the Fort Henry Guard Foundation created the Commitment to Excellence Award, and each of the returning staff in 2022 received the inaugural $500 award at the annual awards night in August.  And in 2023 and 2024, the Foundation increased the award to $750, which was presented to each of the staff who returned for those two summers.

For 2024, we also launched our first matching campaign!  Thanks to the generosity of a former Guard (and proud Squad member), all donations we received until the end of the summer were matched dollar-for-dollar, up to a total of $8,000.  By the end of the summer, we had raised just over $16,000.

The Commitment to Excellence Award is made possible thanks to the support of Fort Henry Guard Club members, Guard alumni and their friends and family.  We invite you to consider a donation to the Fort Henry Guard Foundation, and make a meaningful contribution to the Guard’s future success.  Details on how you can make your donation can be found below.