By Suzanne Spisak, Vice President, Resident Director, Robson Ranch Denton HOA
Tis the season for cookouts, cold beer and red, white and blue everything! We fire up the grill on Memorial Day, a day to honor the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. We fly American flags on June 14, the anniversary of the adoption of the Stars and Stripes as the official U.S. flag in 1777. We participate in Fourth of July parades celebrating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, which declared the original colonies to be free from British rule. Hopefully, we take a few moments on these days to reflect on the freedom, opportunity and resources we enjoy as Americans.
Patriotism is love and support of your country. The men and women who serve in the U.S. military are practicing patriotism every day. They are from all over the country with different ethnicities, educational levels and beliefs and yet they work together protecting each other’s lives as well as the lives of people they are fighting for.
Robson Ranch is home to over 450 veterans with an active Support Our Troops (SOT) organization. Support Our Troops Robson Ranch was founded as a Charter club in 2006. Starting with just a few members meeting in living rooms, the club has grown to over 300 members dedicated to supporting our military servicemen and servicewomen at home and abroad.
The SOT provides substantial gifts and goods annually to troops through donations, fundraisers and silent auctions. They fill specific requests from troops overseas and have supported some rest and recreation areas in combat zones. One of Support Our Troops’ (SOT) favorite charities is Patriot Paws, located in Rockwall. They have been providing service dogs for veterans for a number of years.
Recently, members of SOT were invited to attend the Winter 2025 Graduation Ceremony of five dogs and their veterans. They also got to meet a very special new dog in training that has just been named Rhett, in honor of our general manager Rhett Hubbard. We feel honored, as does Rhett, and it certainly makes SOT proud of the incredible work Patriot Paws does for those who have served our country.
An awe-inspiring activity that we all appreciate at Robson Ranch is when SOT lines the median on Ed Robson Boulevard with American flags on official U.S. flag days. All of those flags flying makes me stop in my tracks and just enjoy the beauty of it every time. We are fortunate to live in this country, with the most freedoms in the world. For myself, and many, the American flag is the symbol of those who serve our country, our freedom of speech and our pride and privilege to be an American.
