A Tolland High School senior who made it her mission to give back to wounded warriors donated a $1,000 check to an Enfield veteran on Friday.
Annalee Hughes made the donation in front of her classmates at Tolland High School.
The veteran she chose this year was Conor Beck, a retired U.S. Marine who served as a lance corporal E3 in Afghanistan.
Beck was wounded in June 2011 when his unit encountered an improvised explosive device. He suffered a traumatic brain injury, retired from the Marines and was awarded a Purple Heart.
"It's all about our veterans so I wanted to help them. I wanted to help them in any small way that I could," said Hughes, who started recycling for wounded warriors four years ago.
"I kind of got behind on medical bills and other financials, so it's definitely a huge thing to me to be able to knock some of that stuff out," Beck said.
Annalee was able to make the donation by collecting bottles and cans.
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It started as a summer job, where she would go to the Tolland Senior Center once a week to collect the recycling.
But four years ago, she decided to give that money back to wounded warriors and every year has chosen a local veteran to donate to.
Once word spread throughout the community, donations started pouring in.
"Cars would come full of bottles and bags of bottles and cans and put them on the front door step and sometimes we can't even get in the door," said Milli Arnold, Annalee’s grandmother. "It's really heartwarming and it's wonderful for her because it gives her so much more purpose."
Even though Annalee will be graduating this year, she plans to continue recycling for wounded warriors and says "I am very proud to do it."
