Eastern States Exposition leaders receive Patriot Award for military support
WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – The Eastern States Exposition (ESE) President and CEO Gene Cassidy and Captain of Public Safety Johnny Ramirez were each recognized with the Patriot Award for their commitment to supporting military personnel and veterans.
A representative from the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) visited the Eastern States Exposition last Friday to present Cassidy and Ramirez with the award. The Patriot Award is bestowed upon employers who support military employees by offering flexible schedules and time off based on deployment.
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Ramirez and Cassidy were nominated by ESE's Sergeant of Safety and Security, Christopher Thompson. Thompson has served in the military for over 28 years, with experience in both the Navy and Air Force.
'I want to thank you for putting my name in for nomination,' Cassidy said. 'Eastern States Exposition does not conscientiously think about these things. We do it by nature. In my office, I have a trophy that was once presented to our founder, Joshua Loring Brooks, in 1919, because of what he did to support the war efforts during the First World War. So, the history of Eastern States Exposition is not lost on me now.'
During the reception, Cassidy signed a statement of support to affirm his continued commitment to actively serving military and veterans, which will be displayed in the Brooks Building on the ESE grounds.
The Eastern States Exposition offers Military Appreciation Day on the first day of The Big E every year, granting free admission to all active-duty and retired military personnel and their dependents. Resources are provided throughout the fair for counseling, benefits, medical treatment, and other essentials. This year, Military Appreciation Day will be on September 12.
WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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