Not only does Goshen Middle School have a strong tradition of honoring veterans, but they are also able to honor the memory of a beloved teacher by doing so.
Each year as Veterans Day nears, students are asked to contribute $1 to the Teke Tough Honor Flight Campaign. The fundraiser is named for the late Sarah Teke, teacher and former co-chair of the GMS social studies department. Teke and fellow GMS teacher Angela Clark established the fundraiser in 2021 as a way for students to honor veterans, learn about the Veterans Day holiday and Honor Flight.
Honor Flight is a full-day, all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., for veterans and guests to visit the national memorials built in their honor. Honor Flight is funded entirely by donations from individuals, families, companies, organizations, and memorial gifts. Veterans apply for a flight through the Honor Flight TriState website: https://www.honorflighttristate.org/
Tragically, Sarah Teke passed away before the first GMS-funded Honor Flight, so the campaign was named the Teke Tough Honor Flight to keep her inspiring memory alive.
In that first year of the fundraiser, the GMS community raised enough to send two veterans. In subsequent years, GMS has sponsored one veteran, with the cost for each being roughly $700.
For 2025, thanks to donations, a bake sale, and an anonymous donor covering the cost of one veteran, the school has raised a remarkable $1,634—enough to send two veterans on an Honor Flight. The most heartwarming contribution came from Jared Teke and his family, who made a generous $500 donation.
GMS teacher Chad Bohl knows first-hand how meaningful those donations can be: He accompanied his father Danny Bohl, an Army Vietnam War veteran, on an Honor Flight four years ago.
“You could see the pride as everyone greeted these veterans,” Bohl said. When the veterans’ bus was approaching Arlington National Cemetery, his dad was visibly moved.
“You could see him reflect, and you could see his loss because he lost buddies over there,” Bohl said. “This trip was meaningful for him.”