The event is a fundraiser toward a memorial and scholarship to honor the Ludlow Marine, who was killed in action in Afghanistan a year ago.
Sgt. Joshua DesforgesLUDLOW – Two School Committee members have joined the fundraising effort underway for a memorial and scholarship to honor Marine Sgt. Joshua D. Desforges, who was killed in action in Afghanistan in May 2010.
School Committee members James P. “Chip” Harrington and Jacob Oliveira said they plan to participate in the Sgt. Joshua D. Desforges Physical Fitness Challenge fundraiser, which will be Thursday at 2 p.m. at Ludlow High School.
They will both compete in a one-hour, pull-up and plyometric competition. Competitors pay $5 to compete. Anyone able to keep up after one hour has met the Sgt. Desforges challenge, Thomas Cote, an attendance officer at Ludlow High School who knew Desforges, said. Cote, a retired state police officer and a Vietnam War Marine veteran, is organizing the fitness challenge.
Oliveira joked that if he is unable to keep up with Harrington in the challenge, he will wear a T-shirt which says, “I support Chip in the next election.”
He said he is getting calls from Marines who served with Desforges who want to buy the T-shirts.
Thomas Cote with Joshua Desforges fitness challenge T-shirtDonations in honor of Desforges may be made to the Ludlow High School/Sgt. Desforges Fund, 500 Chapin Street, Ludlow MA 01056.
For anyone who donates and wishes to attend, the $2 entry fee is waived when a laminated thank you card is shown at the door.
“My goal is to fill the gym on May 19 to show appreciation to Josh and his family,” Cote said. He added, “I am especially hoping that all marines in the community actively serving or on the inactive list donate in support of our fallen brother.”
Cote, who mentored Desforges while he was a Young Marine at Ludlow High School, said that Joshua dreamed of joining the Marines from a very young age.
He said Desforges joined the Young Marines at age 13, graduated from Ludlow High School in 2004 and went into the Marine Corps that September. Desforges’ mother is a special education teacher at Baird Middle School.
Cote said the Board of Selectmen has declared May 19 Sgt. Joshua Desforges Day in the town of Ludlow. He said that all town employees who have purchased a Sgt. Desforges Memorial T-shirt are allowed to wear it on that day.
“So far we have sold 250 memorial T-shirts toward our goal of 1,000,” Cote said.
Cote said members of the Art Department of Ludlow High School are designing a memorial to honor Josh to be placed at the turn-around behind Ludlow High School.
Cote said he wants to make the physical fitness challenge an annual event so a scholarship can be set up in Desforges’ name.