Veterans support group SAM Center holds flag raising new Canal Fulton location

CANAL FULTON − The veterans support organization Serving Area Military, known as the SAM Center, held a flag-raising ceremony Friday morning for Veterans Day at its new second location that will host many of agency's programs.

More than 50 people attended the event at 8101 Manchester Ave., by the city's boundary with Lawrence Township. The highlight was the raising of six American flags outside a former church building.

Rev. Benson Okpara of St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Plain Township, was among the six flag raisers. He gave the benediction and prayer for "those called upon to protect their country. ... We thank them. We honor them. We are proud of them."

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SAM Center speakers at new location

Sandy Upperman, Huntington Bank community president, told the crowd that the bank features programs that serve veterans, military personnel and their families. The bank was taking part in about 20 Veterans Day observances Friday throughout its markets in Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Indiana, Wisconsin, Kentucky, North Carolina and Colorado. She presented a donation check of several thousand dollars to SAM Center's founder Bryan Bowman. Upperman also gave challenge coins to the veterans in attendance.

Upperman later encouraged SAM Center to apply for a grant from Huntington Bank to help fund a program, such as a financial literacy program for veterans.

Katie Cabrera of New Philadelphia, a Navy veteran and Huntington Bank treasury management adviser, was the keynote speaker.

She talked about how her father Joseph Dennison, 74, of Dover, was an Army medic in the late 1960s who served tours in Vietnam. Dennison, who attended the ceremony, later was awarded the Purple Heart after he was accidentally shot in Vietnam by five rounds by his fellow troops. Cabrera said he never complained about his injuries.

Cabrera was in the Navy from 2000 to 2003, serving in a unit that repaired weapons systems on aircraft carriers during the period after 9/11. She said she was honorably discharged after being injured during physical training.

"I have the honor of saying I'm a veteran. And I get to stand alongside people like my dad who have sacrificed so much to provide us with freedom to say and do what we want," Cabrera said. "We are truly blessed to have that freedom granted to us through the actions of others who choose to defend it. ... It's so important that we honor these veterans past, present and future so our men and women continue to be brave and continue to stand alongside each other in the defense of our freedoms and everything we love about this country."

SAM Center gets former church property

Bowman, who founded SAM Center about eight years ago, stressed that the organization's original location at 413 Lincoln Way E in Massillon will remain open for food distribution, Thanksgiving meals and donated items. He said the group has signed a 10-year $0 rent lease for that location with an American Legion post.

Bowman, who chaired the committee to acquire the church building this year, said the new location will host for veterans guitar therapy, yoga, fishing therapy, art therapy, veterans events, virtual honor flights and the group's annual holiday toy distribution. SAM Center is also allowing other nonprofits like Honor Flights Cleveland, Boy Scouts of America and Community Harvest food pantry to use parts of the former church building for office space.

He said the new site is completely handicapped accessible. It has the large former sanctuary space that will have two large video monitors by a community kitchen.

The group already has built a pavilion that will seat about 300. The non-profit Patios for Patriots has constructed a relaxation center with a fountain and flagpole.

Bowman lives in an adjoining neighborhood. The Trinity United Church of Christ, which was at that location, chose to merge with a church in Massillon and sell its Canal Fulton building. He said he saw the for-sale sign on the property and in consultations with the SAM Center board, he quickly contacted the church and began negotiations.

Bowman said the SAM Center was due to outgrow its Massillon location as it's now serving 700 veterans' families a year. And it was already planning on acquiring or building a new building in 2027.

When he saw the church building, with 11,700 square feet, Bowman felt it was an opportunity his group should jump at quickly. The location is convenient to Massillon, western Stark County, Wayne County and Summit County and near the veterans memorial in Clinton. And it was a rustic, more laid back setting conducive for the therapy programs.

They reached a purchase agreement in the spring to buy the more than 11-acre property for about $350,000. SAM Center had $200,000 on hand and was able to raise another $170,000 in donations. Canal Fulton Council approved the new uses for the building and property in April. in The sale closed in October.

Bowman said SAM Center is seeking donations, at least $150,000, to pay to remodel the church, replace the floors and build a one-acre pond stocked with fish for the group's fish therapy program.

SAM Center will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house at 6 p.m. Nov. 28. The new location officially opens on Dec. 1.

Reach Robert at robert.wang@cantonrep.com. On X (formerly Twitter): @rwangREP.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: SAM Center holds flag raising at its new Canal Fulton location